


Alien Vs Predator: Female Warrior

by Fictionstv



Category: Alien Series, Alien vs Predator (2004), Aliens vs Predators Series - Various Authors
Genre: F/F, F/M, Transformation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-29
Updated: 2020-12-16
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:29:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 22
Words: 132,817
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23370973
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fictionstv/pseuds/Fictionstv
Summary: Shortly after the events of AVP, the Yautja make Lex one of them...literally. This tale features Lex's ongoing struggle to keep her humanity while under pressure by a Yautja Prince to conform to his ways.
Relationships: Alexa Woods/Yautja (Predator)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 13





	1. Origin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lex begins her training with the Yautja to become the female warrior.

The Xenomorph Queen chased after Lex shattering the ribs of a long-dead whale as she ran. Lex ran for cover underneath a large water tower. The Queen ran towards her and attempted to claw and bite at Lex. The water tower strained backward as the Queen put her weight on the water tower; the wooden foundations began to split and collapse.

Lex pushed herself back as far as she could to avoid the Queen's mouth. The Queen shot out its secondary mandibles at her, but it was a few inches short of reaching Lex's face. Frustrated, the Queen continued to push into the bottom of the water tower to get at Lex.

Suddenly, Scar leaped up into the air and threw his spear into the Queen's face causing her to roar in pain and rage. Scar landed next to the water tower and observed how his strike affected the Queen.

The Queen used her clawed arm to break off one side of the spear and then the other side. Yellow blood oozed from the wound; the spear that still remained inside the Queen's skull quickly dissolved.

Lex got out of her hiding place and saw the chain attached to the Queen's collar. She then saw how it could hook up to the water tower which was on the verge of falling into the cold Antarctic Ocean.

"Help me," Lex asked Scar who seemed to understand what she was up to.

The Yautja complied and assisted Lex with the chain. Lex wrapped the chain around the water tower's lock. Scar used all of his strength to pull the Queen backward toward the Ocean.

The Queen immediately resisted and roared as it realized what was happening. Lex and Scar soon realized a problem in their plan; the water tower was not falling over the edge. The Queen suddenly used her tail to slice into Scar's gut and out the other side.

Lex watched horrified as Scar was lifted off the ground; the Queen raised Scar to eye level. Scar gave the Queen a defiant roar; his mandibles fully extended. The Queen screeched at Scar and was just about to slice through Scar's head when she realized what Lex was doing.

Lex used a piece of metal to pry the water tower off its base so it would fall off the cliff. The water tower fell over the edge taking the Queen with it. The Queen screeched and flung Scar off her tail. Scar fell to the ground with a thud on his back. The Queen clawed the ground as the water tower's weight pulled her closer to the cliff.

Lex found herself frozen in stunned shock as the Queen attempted to kill her with its secondary mandible. The Queen missed her by an inch and fell over the cliff. The Queen and the water tower fell into the icy ocean and sank to the bottom. The Queen gave a last silent roar as she continued down into the dark cold ocean and disappeared.

* * *

**Alien Vs Predator**

**The Female Warrior**

* * *

Lex ran over to Scar's body; he was already dead. He had been stabbed through the gut; his spine broken. He had lost a considerable amount of green blood. Lex felt some sadness at the death of Scar even though he had contributed to the deaths of half her crew. Despite everything, she could not help but feel pride for the warrior alien.

Lex didn't have much time to consider the dead alien before her. A spaceship suddenly decloaked in the air a short distance away from her. The spaceship's engines blew warm air around her as it descended to the ground. Its lights came upon her and the dead body. Immediately, other Yautja appeared out of thin air. A half-dozen Yautja suddenly revealed themselves and walked closer to Lex and their fallen comrade.

Lex watched in amazement and fear as four Yautja approached the dead body. They all wore various types of masks and were heavily armored. Lex could tell that each of them had a different type of mask or other feature that differentiated themselves from the other. The Yautja ignored Lex and picked up the dead body and carried it back towards the ship.

The eldest Yautja did not have his mask on. His eyes looked upon the dead body, but he showed no sign of sadness. He then looked upon Lex and stared at her face. There were two marks on her cheek; the same sign as a warrior's first kill. The Yautja considered the dead body and then back at Lex. He understood that the dead Yautja must have found the human worthy of the mark for a successful kill. If that were true, the human must have killed one of the Xenomorphs by herself down below in the pyramid.

The Yautja elder valued a kill just as Scar had. He took out a small staff with sharp points on the end. He then extended the blade so it reached one meter long. The Yautja Elder then threw the spear to her as a gift. It had not been the first time the Yautja had given a human a gift for a successful kill. In 1997, a Yautja Elder gave a pistol from the 1700s to a police officer who managed to kill a Yautja warrior in one-on-one combat.

Lex accepted the gift and looked over it for a moment. It was clearly alien technology; it was worth a fortune if she ever sold it. However, she didn't feel like it would be appropriate to sell such an artifact. Lex considered how she would even get back home; she was stranded on a desolate island in Antarctica.

The Antarctic wind chilled her; she suddenly realized the intense cold. She had thrown her jacket away when a Xenomorph's acidic blood got on it. She realized it was night; she was going to freeze.

The Yautja Elder then turned back towards his ship; his business with the human finalized. Lex realized with growing certainty that she would surely die from exposure in the cold. If she didn't die this night, she would surely die the next. She had no food with her either.

"Wait!" she called out to the Yautja Elder.

The Yautja Elder turned around, his mandibles clicking at her. Lex crossed her arms as she shivered uncontrollably in the cold. "Can you give me a ride?" she asked.

The Yautja Elder simply stared at her. He could see that she was shivering and that her clothes would not be enough to keep her warm. His body could sustain cold temperatures with little clothing but even he had his limits. He didn't want to stay outside for very long if he didn't have to.

"I am going to freeze to death," Lex stuttered. "Can you please drop me off somewhere warm, anywhere but here," Lex pleaded.

The Yautja was uncertain as to what to do. Nothing like this had ever happened before. The prey was asking the predator for help? It was impossible. The Elder looked at the spear. No, she was now a predator just like him.

"What's the point of giving me this spear if I am going to die here?" Lex asked him as her lips turned blue and her hair began to turn white with frost.

Two Yautja warriors were at the Elder's side. The three clicked together in their own language and then looked at the human woman. The Elder finished his orders and walked back towards the entrance of the ship. Lex closed her eyes and knelt down in sorrow realizing she was doomed to die in the cold.

The two Yautja warriors suddenly approached her and lifted her to her feet. Lex struggled against the two aliens, but they were insistent. They dragged her toward the ship. Lex realized what was happening and stopped struggling. The three went into the ship as the doors closed.

The two Yautja warriors left Lex as the ship began to rise off the ground. Lex looked around touring the ship. One room was filled with capsules presumably for the purpose of sleeping during the flight. She then saw another room with various trophies of Xenomorphs, large beasts, and to her amazement human skulls. Lex saw the dead Yautja carried away to another location. Lex watched as his body was placed on an altar of a sort. The Yautja bowed respectfully before the body and then carried on with their work.

Lex felt a sudden vibration as the ship went into space and then nothing. Lex felt a powerful force push down on her. Falling to her knees, she struggled to get up. The Yautja noticed her struggle and made a modification on their computers. The gravity suddenly lifted. Lex could now stand again.

The Yautja Elder approached her and clicked at her. Lex shook her head not understanding. "Grav-ity….is…high..er for us," the Elder said with broken English. Lex nodded understanding.

The Elder invited her to the viewing screen. Lex was able to see Earth in orbit for the first time. A swell of emotions went through Lex as she saw the oceans, landmasses, and the cloud cover of Earth. She had never believed she would be able to see Earth from space in her lifetime. She wondered how the Earth didn't see them. Was it the cloaking device?

"They…can not see us," the Elder said referring to the human populations below.

"Why do you hunt?" Lex asked. 

The Elder looked at Lex curiously. "I…will help…you to…understand," the Elder said.

* * *

Meanwhile, the dead body of Scar began to move slightly. Something was pushing upward from his chest and then suddenly exploded out of the dead Yautja's chest. The creature resembled an infant Xenomorph but with a small difference. The jaws of the Xenomorph contained the mandibles of a Yautja. The creature gave a small screech as it worked its way out of the dead Yautja's body. And then it started to consume its host's body and grow.

The Elder and Lex were in the control room and were unaware of what was occurring in the other room. The viewing screen of Earth began to tilt as the spaceship went into orbit around the planet. Lex saw the North American continent come into view.

"You can drop me off there," Lex said pointing to the continent.

The Elder made some clicking sounds to two others. The two went into another room and disappeared from view. Lex got the impression that the aliens were being sent off to drop her off. The Elder said nothing to her as the spaceship stayed in one spot above the North American continent.

"Why we hunt?" the Elder repeated.

The Elder pointed to the Earth. "We create…civilization…we hunt it," the Elder began.

"I understand. You created human civilization with the pyramids," Lex said.

The Elder nodded. "By hunting humans…they become stronger…so that they can defend…themselves…from others," the Elder said pointing to the stars.

"Humans may begin to challenge us," the Elder added.

Lex frowned; she didn't like the Elder's explanation but decided to remain silent. She didn't understand why they felt compelled to hunt. Wouldn't it be simpler for them to share their technology with Earth instead of hunting? They nearly wiped out the human race so that they could hunt those alien serpents.

The spaceship began to turn away from North American and towards the Pacific Ocean. Lex gave a look of confusion as the spaceship orbited away from North America. "That's where I live. What are you doing?" Lex asked confused.

"You are chosen," the Elder said.

"What the hell does that mean?" Lex asked becoming angry.

The Elder waved his hand and walked away as two other Yautja warriors took hold of Lex. The Yautja dragged Lex to another room and kept hold of her arms as she struggled against them.

Lex yelled in protest and attempted to beat the two Yautja with her fists. Finally, the Yautja threw her into a room. Lex took her spear and extended it. The Yautja looked at her curiously as she pointed it at them. The two clicked in amusement at her defiance.

"I will use this thing," she threatened.

The two Yautja continued to click as if laughing. Lex suddenly swung at one of the aliens. The Yautja blocked the spear with his wrist guard. The other Yauntja kicked Lex to the ground; the spear fell onto the floor.

The two Yautja picked up a fighting Lex and placed her on a medical table of a sort. They then strapped her down so she wouldn't be able to move her arms and legs. Lex could see various cutting tools off to the side. Realizing she could die soon, she fought as hard as she could against the metal restraints.

A Yautja took out a needle and raised it so that Lex could see it. "Stay still," one of the Yautja ordered.

Lex knew that if she fought while they were injecting her, it would rip her arm open. She decided to keep still and if she died she would die painlessly. The Yautja inserted the needle into her vein in her arm. Lex hissed in pain as the needle punctured her arm. The Yautja carefully emptied the needle's contents and then quickly withdrew the needle.

The two Yautja released Lex's arms and legs and waited for her to get up. Upon her release, a furious Lex tried to attack one of the Yautja. "What was that? What did you inject me with?" she demanded.

The Yautja ignored her weak punches and then proceeded to drag her back towards the Elder in the next room. The Yautja rudely pushed Lex before the Elder's presence. "What did you do to me?' Lex demanded of him.

"Air…not safe for you," the Elder explained.

Lex simply stared at the Elder and then softened her expression. "You could have asked," she said annoyed.

The Elder turned away from her dismissively. Lex considered the air for a moment; from the moment she was on board she found the air heavy and humid. She didn't think it was toxic but who knew in an alien ship.

* * *

**1:00 AM**

An hour had passed since Lex had been picked up by the Yautja. During that time, the Yautja gave little explanation on their future plans with Lex. The spaceship simply orbited the Earth as if scanning for more suitable hunts.

Lex began to feel sick from the injection. She was sweating in the humid environment and ached all over. She felt feverish and experienced a migraine headache. Her dark skin started turning a sick looking yellow.

"I think I need a doctor," Lex said to the Elder.

The Elder stared at her but didn't reply. "I'm sick. I have to leave this ship, or I will die," Lex said weakly.

The Elder looked at the other two Yautja and motioned for them to take care of her. The first Yauntja held the weak Lex down while the other injected her with another batch. Lex squirmed slightly as the needle punctured her arm. The two Yautja then walked away from Lex.

Lex felt dizzy and couldn't see straight. Whatever they had injected her with, it wasn't helping. The Elder turned his back on Lex and was preoccupied with his work. Lex looked over to the control panel.

"If he won't send me back home, I will," Lex thought to herself.

Getting back to her feet, she struggled to walk over to the control panel. The Elder didn't seem to notice her as she wrapped her arms around the control panel. Lex looked at the controls and didn't know what any of them meant. There were red marks that looked like some sort of alien language. There were pads where she would presumably push to obtain a response.

Lex began pushing on the pads; the ship immediately responded and went off course. Lex wasn't sure what she was doing but at least she was getting a response. The Elder turned around and roared in displeasure at her. Lex ignored the Elder and continued to work the controls. The Elder smacked her off the control panel.

Lex glared at the Elder and punched him as hard as she could on his bare chest. The Elder didn't seem to be affected by the blow and pushed her away from the controls. He then worked to correct Lex's damage to the control panel. Lex grabbed a hold of the alien's shoulders, but he shoved her to the ground.

Finally, Lex got back to her feet and punched the Elder hard to the jaw. The Elder was stunned by the punch and took a step back to steady himself. Lex smiled as she realized she had surprised him. The Elder roared at Lex; his mandibles fully extended, and his arms stretched outward. Lex curled her lips showing her teeth and stretching out her hands in a similar motion. She didn't notice that her nails had grown an inch longer.

The Elder swiped at Lex, but she quickly dodged the attack. She then punched the Elder to the gut hard. The Elder pushed Lex aside and then jumped next to her and away from the control panel. Lex went for another punch but was blocked by the open palm of the Elder. The two stalemated as the Elder held her fist back. Lex glared at the Elder and punched him to the face with her left hand. The Elder reflexively kicked Lex to the ground stunning her.

Lex got back to her feet and tried to fight the Elder again but was restrained by the Elder's hands. Lex struggled against the Elder but couldn't free herself. "Good," the Elder said and let her go. Lex fell to her knees exhausted.

* * *

**2:00 AM**

Lex gave up on attempting to get back home. She stayed in the control room with the Elder watching over her. She continued to feel sick from the two injections. Her dark skin was slightly lighter with small dark spots. Her hair began to rescind back but began to grow out longer in the back. Her muscles were also tightening and becoming stronger. Lex had always been in top shape but now her muscles were expanding and become more concentrated.

Lex would have noticed these things, but she could barely concentrate. The third time the Yautja injected her, she didn't even resist or become aware of what was happening. Fatigued from her ordeal, Lex went to sleep.

* * *

**5:00 AM**

Lex woke up crying out in pain. Her entire body spasmed in pain as it began to change. The Elder and some of other Yautja youths watched her as she writhed in pain. Her red ice hiking suit began to burst and tear as her body began to grow. Her boots busted open as her feet grew larger. The Yautja watched in fascination as she grew a foot higher.

Her body quickly increased in mass and her nails extended longer. Her arms expanded surpassing a male human bodybuilder. Her legs also became much more muscular and firm; any fat on her body became pure muscle.

Lex panted as the changes continued on her body. "What have you done to me?" she cried.

"You will soon join our species," the Elder said.

"Like one of you," she said pointing her clawed finger.

"Yes, although female, of course," the Elder said.

Lex simply stared at the Yautja as another wave of pain went through her body. She suddenly realized that she could understand the Elder clearly. He was speaking with clicks and grunts, but she could understand him.

"Why?" Lex asked with her still human mouth.

"You were given the mark by one of our clan. He would have not have given it to you unless he acknowledged you as a warrior. The mark is only given to those worthy of becoming one of us," the Elder explained.

"But…I have a life to go back to. I have a job and a bank account," Lex said lamely; she realized bitterly that she wouldn't be able to access the million promised to her by the Weyland Corporation.

"Those are pitiful concerns compared to the hunt," the Elder said dismissively.

"You had no right to do this to me," Lex said angrily.

"We could have left you to die in the cold," the Elder replied.

Lex was about to protest when another spasm of pain hit her. Her skull began to change as her brain expanded. Lex clutched her head in pain as her forehead expanded slightly. Her teeth began to become sharper and her jaw expanded for a more powerful bite. Her eyes had already changed from dark brown to yellow.

"Come," the Elder motioned for her.

Lex struggled to get back on her feet as pain still surged through her body. She kicked off her cumbersome boots; her feet had become larger and ended in claws. Lex considered the red hiking suit; they were torn beyond repair and were effectively rags. Her tattered clothes were more of a nuisance now with her six-foot six-inch height. She hesitated to take them off and walk around the space ship in the nude.

"Can I have some clothes?" Lex asked embarrassed.

The Elder turned to look at her. "It is warm enough," he replied and then walked into the next room.

Lex frowned at his response and reluctantly threw her clothes aside. Totally nude, Lex looked at her changed body. Her body was larger and was higher in height and yet it still resembled curves and a slender figure. Despite her increase in weight and height, her body was still proportionally athletic. She noticed with some satisfaction that her breasts were larger but muscularly firm. Her stomach went from smooth to firm abs.

Lex considered her clawed feet. They still resembled human feet but with some differences. They were larger than before but were flexible enough to allow her to leap and stand up on her toes. Lex felt her face with her hands. She could still sense a human face with a mouth, cheeks, eyes, and a brow. However, her lips were clearly gone and her ears were shrinking.

The Elder motioned her to move with his hand while she was distracted. Lex walked forward without difficulty on her new feet and legs. The Elder gave her a look as she passed by him into the next room; he hadn't seen a female in some time.

The room was lit by a strange orange light. The floor was covered in a layer of fog. Lex looked at the walls and could not help but receive the impression that the walls were alive. Lex looked over to a wall displaying various skulls of beasts killed in previous hunts.

The Elder was quickly joined by four other Yautja youths. They each gave Lex a look of fascination before giving the Elder their full attention. "Fight her," the Elder commanded one of the youths.

Lex wasn't familiar enough with the Yautja language, but she could tell that the others were snickering at the volunteered youth. The youth gave off the body language of displeasure and humiliation at having to fight a female.

"I don't want to fight," Lex said in English still.

"You will either learn to hunt or become a breeder," the Elder told her bluntly.

Lex stared at the Elder as the full ramification of what he was saying sank in. "Okay, I'll fight," she gave in.

The youth rushed Lex and clasped her arms. Lex threw his arms off and backed away. The youth spun around and used his momentum to backhand her to the chest. Lex fell to the ground stunned.

"Get up," the Elder ordered.

Lex did what she was told and confronted the youth. She attempted to punch the youth but missed. Lex continued in her attempt to punch the youth, but she was unsuccessful every time. Finally, the youth counter-attacked punching Lex hard to the face causing her to fall backward.

Lex looked up at the ceiling dazed. The youth dragged her by her feet. Lex tried to fight the youth, but he was too strong. Lex finally managed to get free and got back on her feet. The Elder watched curiously as Lex and the youth continued to fight with punches and kicks. Lex had some knowledge of martial arts from her previous training. Although her body had changed, the rules still applied.

Lex blocked some of the youth's punches and blocked a kick that would have landed in her gut. Lex backed away exhaustedly and hurt from the fighting. The youth extended his mandibles in victory. His victory was short-lived as the other older youths mocked him from behind with clicks.

Lex looked at her hand; it didn't resemble a human's anymore. Her skin had changed to a tougher material than before. It was neither human nor reptilian. She looked over at the male youth; his nails were not nearly as long as hers. Inspecting her fingers, she noticed that her claws were significantly longer than his.

"Fight," the Elder ordered.

The youth rushed Lex for another attack. Lex held her hands out from her body and waited for the youth to approach. When he finally came within range, Lex slashed his chest with her nails. The youth backed away surprised; light green blood escaped the wounds on his chest. Lex smiled and fully extended her fingers. The youth was now on the defensive as Lex swung with her sharp-bladed claws. The youth attempted to retaliate back only to find his arms and upper legs slashed with her claws.

Lex advanced on the youth and with a burst of effort kicked the youth hard to the gut. She then fell on top of the youth and held her clawed hands at his throat. "Give," she threatened.

The youth said nothing as he considered his options. He could throw her off and remove the pitiful threat or he could stay where he was and experience the pleasure of a female on top of him. Even as she held her clawed hands at his throat, Lex could sense a sort of arousal flow through her as she kept the male firmly beneath her.

The youth suddenly realized that he was being made fun of by the other youths. His pride at stake, the male youth threw Lex off of him with his legs. The Elder looked at the youth with disapproval; he knew what he was doing. Lex was on her back stunned.

"Good, you have learned the female's advantage in fighting," the Elder approved.

The Elder motioned for one of the youths to retrieve some equipment for the next training exercise. Within a few moments, wrist blades were sent over. "Hold out your wrists," the Elder commanded.

Lex cautiously did as she was told extending herself. The Elder took the wrist blades and clasped them over her right wrist. There was a slight sting as it clasped around her wrist. The Elder seemed to realize her pain.

"The wrist blades connect directly to your nervous system. You can extend or retract the blades by your own will," the Elder explained.

Lex waited as the Elder placed the next wrist blade on her left arm. There was a similar sting as it clasped on. "Practice it," the Elder said.

Lex concentrated and suddenly two blades slid out of the holster and became fully extended above her wrist. Lex looked over the blades; they were extremely sharp but crafted in such a way that they could be used as a saw for cutting meat. Lex tried with her left arm and also extended the blades. She then concentrated once more and retracted the blades safely inside their holster.

"So, I did it," she said.

"Now you will fight with them," the Elder announced.

Another youth came forth and quickly extended his blades. Lex raised her bladed hands in a defensive stance. The Elder motioned for the youth to fight. Lex and the Yautja clashed with their blades. Lex backed away a few steps as the youth advanced on her with his blades. Their blades suddenly clashed causing sparks to fly. Finally, the youth slashed her arm.

Lex backed away clutching her right arm. Dark green blood with small traces of red flowed from her wound. The Elder motioned for the youth to stop. He complied and took his place next to the others. Lex glared at the youth and then at her wound.

"He nearly took my arm off," she exaggerated to the Elder.

The Elder ignored Lex and opened a compartment on his wrist. Inside were small tools used for healing wounds. The Elder walked over to Lex and examined the wound. He opened a bag on his waist and took out a piece of blue rock. He crushed the rock over her wounds. Lex felt a stinging sensation as the mineral burned her wound; the blood stopped flowing. The Elder then took out a small fire lighter and ignited it.

"This will hurt a little," the Elder said.

Lex nodded and looked away. The Elder ignited the crushed mineral in her wound causing a painful sensation in her arm. Lex cried out in pain as her wound was completely sealed. Her cry was no longer that of a human woman but closer to a Yautja, the sound amazed Lex.

The Elder put his tools away and closed his compartment on his wrist. "Come with me," he requested of her.

Lex walked with the Elder to another room that hosted several types of weapons. The Elder took out a circular orb and showed it to her. He pressed on the edge of the orb and immediately four blades shot out of the shuriken. The Elder motioned with his hand had to use it. Lex watched as the Elder pretended to throw the device.

"Watch your fingers when you use this," the Elder advised and then closed the blade.

The Elder took out a projectile weapon of sort. It was a small device with a nozzle. Lex had seen the device before when she was inside the pyramid. A Yautja had killed a security officer by trapping him in a wire net that slowly stopped him from moving. The Yautja then proceeded to stab him through with his spear.

The Elder showed her how to pull the trigger on the weapon and then placed it down on the desk. The Elder then took out a vial of blue fluid. Lex looked at it with wonder. The Elder took the cap of the vial and then demonstrated its properties on a knife. The fluid immediately dissolved the knife.

"It's like acid," Lex guessed.

The Elder nodded. "It dissolves everything it touches. The prey cannot know we were here," the Elder said referring mainly to humans.

The Elder then took out another weapon. It resembled the gun that was hosted on top of the Yautja's shoulders. The Elder showed her the weapon and pointed to a screen on the top of the weapon. She watched as symbols appeared on the weapon and then stopped.

"It's charged," he told her.

The Elder deactivated the weapon and then took out a mask. Lex had seen the mask before; it resembled Scar's mask. "The mask is a replication of a beast on our planet. A Yautja youth must kill this beast before they are to receive their own mask and hunt on other worlds," the Elder explained.

"In your case, you have already proven worthy of a mask," the Elder allowed.

Lex wasn't sure whether to feel proud concerning this. "The mask filters the air so you will be able to breathe on other worlds. You will still be able to breathe on Earth, but it will be more difficult for you now," the Elder said.

"The mask also provides a multitude of sight: night vision, motion detection, visual targeting, infrared scanning, and it records everything that the hunter sees," the Elder told her.

Lex nodded in understanding; her own vision was beginning to change as her body became more like a Yautja. "The mask sends visual information directly to your brain. You can then target prey with this plasma cannon with your mask," the Elder said showing her the plasma cannon.

"Why do you use the plasma cannon? Isn't that cheating?" Lex accused.

The Elder was taken aback by her words. "The plasma cannon can only be used for self- preservation and if the prey possesses a projectile weapon," the Elder said.

"So, if the prey doesn't have a gun you don't shoot him?" Lex asked confused.

"Correct. If the prey is armed with a knife then we fight with our blades. If the prey does not possess a weapon, we fight hand to hand," the Elder lectured.

"The only exception is under grave circumstances where the objective is to kill all prey within a small amount of time," the Elder added.

The Elder then picked up another arm-band made of metal. He opened the compartment and revealed the computer hardware inside. "This creates a cloaked field around the person who possesses this," the Elder said showing the device to Lex.

Lex understood the technology. In the pyramids, she saw three Yautja disappear and reappear as they attacked the security forces. "It will become temporarily deactivated if liquid touches it," the Elder warned.

"The device is also a thermal detonator. After the countdown is completed the device will cause an explosion that will destroy everything within a small radius. The device will only detonate if it's attached to your nervous system," the Elder continued.

"So, suicide," Lex clarified.

The Elder nodded. "It's honorable to destroy yourself if it kills a powerful prey or saves the life of another. If you are mortally wounded it is expected that you destroy yourself to prevent other civilizations from discovering our presence. You will know when the time is right," the Elder told her.

Lex simply stared as the information sank in. Suddenly, she felt a spasm of pain, causing her to fall over. The Elder simply watched as she continued to change. Lex clutched the sides of her face as her ears slowly disappeared and her skull began to change shape. Her jaw pushed out and two sharp teeth erupted from her upper lip. Another two teeth erupted from her lower jaw and pushed forward. The mandibles pushed forward and created a thin but tough piece of skin that connected the two sets of teeth. With her mandibles fully extended, the upper teeth hung down and the lower teeth went straight up. The Elder watched in fascination as a pattern of spots appeared on her back, upper legs, shoulders, and the sides of her face. No single Yautja, with the exception of twins, had the same skin pattern. Her upper chest, breasts, and abdomen were a pale white, but the rest of her body was a light tan. Her spot patterns were black. Her hair was still a wild black, not yet braided.

When the changes were complete, Lex was a genetic Yautja. The Elder observed her in order to see if her changes were complete. Satisfied, he assisted her to her feet. "Will I ever be human again?" she asked softly.

"Why would you want to?" the Elder asked.

Lex thought quickly; she found thinking was faster than before. "If I am to find a powerful adversary on Earth, I will need to blend in," she said.

"Your clocking device will allow you to observe the humans without being detected," the Elder replied.

"I know…but sometimes the best way to collect information on someone is to get real close to them," Lex said.

Lex demonstrated her point by caressing the Elder's shoulders and standing within inches of the Elder. The Elder simply stared at Lex; the female Yautja's presence was intoxicating and confusing. Lex became surprised at herself as she realized she was flirting with the Elder. It was true that he was the strongest of all them and as of right now the most worthy mate.

Lex tried to snap herself out of it as sexual urges nearly overwhelmed her. She felt a powerful urge to intertwine her mandibles with him; a possible Yautja kiss. The Elder realized what was happening and stepped back and presented himself as her superior.

"You will be given your armor now," he said as she was still nude before him.

* * *

Lex wrapped a belt around her hips. The belt contained a metal plate that covered her crotch. An armored cape was attached to the belt; the cape covered the back of her legs and backside. Lex took two knee guards that were strapped around her upper legs; the guards covered her upper thighs. She then strapped leg guards to her lower legs below her knee cap. Next, she put on her boots, a welcome fit for her larger feet. The boots seemed to mold around her foot as she put them on; they didn't require strings or buckles.

Her next set of armor was for her upper chest. She took a metallic bra of sort and covered her breasts with them and then strapped them behind. It was a tight fit but still comfortable. Her shoulders were also covered in armor. The metal seemed dense but did not weigh her down. With her new strength, she could barely feel the weight of the armor. Finally, she put on her wrist blades, cloaking device/thermal detonator, and medical kit on her arms.

Once she was done, the Elder looked over her. He tested the firmness of her armor by touching her shoulders, breasts, and thighs. If not for the seriousness of the situation, Lex would have found his touching inappropriate. The Elder looked up and nodded his approval.

The Elder then placed her mask onto her face. The mask covered her entire face so that the only thing visible from her head was her long strands of hair. At first, Lex couldn't see anything but eventually, a new kind of sight went through her mind. She could now see the infrared of the Elder in front of her. His body was glowing in various colors of red, orange, and yellow. Lex instinctively understood that this Yautja was healthy.

She soon realized that her air was being filtered. Lex had taken scuba lessons before but this was different. There wasn't a cumbersome tank or regulator. She was able to breathe as usual through the mask. The mask fit tightly against her face; she fought a sense of claustrophobia.

"You will become used to the feel of the mask," the Elder told her.

The Elder then attached a plasma cannon holster on her shoulders. The holster attached itself to the mask allowing Lex the ability to target. Even without the actual plasma cannon, she was able to begin targeting.

"Target my finger," the Elder instructed.

Lex did as she was told and concentrated on the Elder's fingers. A red triangle appeared in front of her vision and immediately targeted the Elder's finger. The holster on her shoulder moved accordingly.

"Good. Now track,' the Elder ordered.

Lex's red triangle followed the Elder's finger. Her holster moved in a circular motion as if aiming for the Elder's finger.

"Good, you have done well for a beginner," the Elder praised.

Lex attempt to speak but the mask blocked her ability to speak clearly. The Elder seemed to realize her problem. "You must speak our native tongue to communicate with the mask on," the Elder said.

Lex considered what the Yautja language would be. As her brain had expanded, she seemed to have gained the ability to access language and comprehension faster than as a human. Lex mimicked the clicks of the Elder.

"Good, have done well a beginner," Lex said in Yautja.

The Elder gave Lex an amused look as she tried to mimic him. "We are called the Yautja," the Elder began.

"Yautja," Lex mimicked.

"We have a few simple but important principles. We hunt civilizations so they don't die of widespread starvation and disease. We preserve the species of many civilizations by hunting them," the Elder stated.

Lex had heard the same speech before but from human hunters. "On occasion, we may hunt big game to sharpen our skills and bring honor to ourselves and families," the Elder said noting exceptions.

"The prey is to never know the hunter exists until the last moment of life," the Elder said.

"We hunt for honor and skills," Lex repeated.


	2. Requiem

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After crash landing on Earth, Lex must keep the existence of the Xenomorphs secret and end the infestation before it's too late.

**7:00 AM**

The Elder gave Lex a complete tour of the ship including the chamber holding Xenomorph face-huggers. Lex stared in amazement as a half dozen canisters filled with liquid held the little monsters. The face-huggers pressed their mouths up against the glass so as to sense them. Some of the others were motionless and would move on occasion.

"Why have?" Lex asked.

"They will be used for the next hunt," the Elder said simply.

"World, not safe, almost died before," Lex objected.

"The world's population has always been threatened by Xenomorphs for hundreds of years as we hunt them. It is a rite of passage to kill a Xenomorph," the Elder explained.

"Humans…almost all died for a hunt," Lex said.

"Perhaps if only those three were hunting," the Elder said referring to the dead Yautja. "We were observing the hunt during the entire time. The humans faced no danger," the Elder said confidently.

"Still think they be destroyed," Lex said.

"In time you will appreciate what we do," the Elder replied.

* * *

**8:00 AM**

The youths had each taken a glance at the new female on the ship. It was their first time seeing a female in some time. They each gave respectful nods as they approached her; the Elder was typically with her the entire time and teaching her the Yautja language.

Meanwhile, an alien life form had shed its cocoon and had totally consumed the body of Scar as he lay on the altar. The Xenomorph was larger than usual but not as large as a Queen. It held some characteristics of a Yautja; its face held four mandibles. It was common knowledge among the Yautja that Xenomorphs would often take characteristics of their hosts.

The Hybrid was over seven feet tall; higher than a typical Yautja male. It had a long tail behind it that had enough force to penetrate right through the body of a humanoid. Its head was larger containing eyes and a larger brain cavity. It was roughly twice the size of a Xenomorph spawned out of a human.

The Hybrid used his hands to tear the door down and then quickly ran through the halls looking for something to kill. It could smell food everywhere. A Yautja youth walked around the ship unsuspecting as the Hybrid rushed him. Before he could defend himself, the Hybrid sliced through his head with its secondary mandibles. The Yautja fell to the ground; green blood flowed from his forehead.

Another Yautja youth spotted the brief fight and immediately activated his targeting computer. The Hybrid snarled at the Yautja as he targeted it. A plasma blast went through the hall but missed the target. The plasma bolt blasted the hull of the ship causing a small explosion.

Lex heard alarms ring through the ship as the ship lost altitude. "Stay here," the Elder told her.

Another unsuspecting Yautja was sliced through the back by the Hybrid's tail. The Hybrid threw the dead Yautja aside and went after the next one. The second Yautja slashed at the Hybrid with his blades causing small wounds on the Hybrid's chest. The Hybrid retaliated by knocking the Yautja to the floor. The Hybrid then pinned the Yautja to the floor and blasted his head with its secondary mandibles.

As the fighting continued, more plasma blasts went through the ship causing large explosions. The ship began to drive toward the planet as it lost control. The inexperienced youths were firing madly at the Hybrid causing more damage to the ship. Lex could only watch in horror as the ship reached Earth's atmosphere and was descending rapidly toward the ground.

The Elder finally confronted the Hybrid as it killed another Yautja warrior. The two roared at each other and clashed with their blades. The two slammed each other into the walls. The Hybrid shot its second mouth at the Elder in an attempt to kill him. The Elder kept the Hybrid back and slammed it against the wall. The Hybrid swat the Elder with its tail, but the Elder sliced deep into the Hybrid's gut. The Hybrid screeched and slammed the Elder with its forearm.

The spaceship hit a hill causing massive damage to the belly of the ship and causing dust to fly up into the air. The spaceship flew across a large lake and slammed into the forest. The ship immediately halted on impact; Lex was thrown off her feet.

Pieces of metal went flying on impact; the Elder and the Hybrid were thrown across the length of the ship. Lex got back to her feet and looked herself over. Seeing no injury, she looked around. She started changing her vision scanners as she looked around her.

Seeing no one, she ventured outside half thinking the ship would explode at any moment. The last Yautja youth programmed his thermal detonator as he was dying from his injuries. The Hybrid looked over the youth and saw the blinking arm-band. The youth stayed perfectly still to give the Hybrid the impression he was dead. The Hybrid walked over to the Yautja and sliced through his mask with its second mouth killing him. The timer was deactivated as he died.

The Xenomorph canisters had been blasted open upon impact. Xenomorph face-huggers crawled out of the ship and raced into the forest. The Hybrid followed the face-huggers into the forest and was gone.

Lex walked around the ship and found the Elder pinned in the wreckage; his chest was covered in green blood. "What happened?" Lex asked.

"Scar must have had a Xenomorph inside him. The Xenomorph grew inside the ship and attacked us," the Elder said.

"What do I do?" Lex asked.

"You must hunt the Hybrid and kill it before it creates more of its kind. This planet depends on you killing it," the Elder said.

"What about help?" Lex asked.

"Once this ship crashed, the home-world was notified. They will send another but by the time they show up, it may be too late. The humans must not know about the Xenomorphs or the Yautja," the Elder stressed.

"Why not?" Lex asked.

"It will interfere with the progression of the human species. If humans are aware of us, we will have no choice but to incinerate the atmosphere of this planet," the Elder said.

Lex stared at Elder stunned as she realized what that meant. "Get as far as you can from here," the Elder said as he programmed his thermal detonator.

Lex watched as the red dashes began to blink and slowly disappear. Lex nodded and ran as far as she could from the spaceship. Within a few minutes, the spaceship was completely destroyed. Lex took cover behind a fallen log as the explosion ripped through the forest.

* * *

Once the explosion had settled, Lex looked back and saw nothing but a large crater. Any evidence that an alien spaceship had landed was erased. Lex was alone; no one else had survived. Lex looked around and saw large mountains in the distance. It was hard to tell with her vision, but she was confident that the mountains in the background were the Rocky Mountains in the United States.

Realizing time was not on her side, she went to work to track down the Hybrid and the other face-huggers. Hopefully, a town would not be nearby.

Meanwhile, a hunter and his son were out hunting for deer. The explosion of the spaceship a distance away scared the deer off preventing a perfect shot. The hunter looked in the distance and saw smoke rising nearby.

The son eagerly ran toward the explosion to investigate. The father followed his son but was more cautious. "Don't get too far ahead," he said.

As the two came closer to the explosion, face-huggers moved quickly towards them. Suddenly, one appeared before the hunter. The hunter stared at the alien monster with uncertainty and then it struck. The hunter instinctively fired on the alien blasting it to pieces as it jumped into the air.

The alien's blood showered the hunter's arm and immediately started dissolving his arm off. The hunter cried out as his arm fell off. The son stared in horror as another face-hugger leaped up and attached itself to his father's face. The son looked over his father uncertain as to what had happened. Suddenly, another face-hugger attached itself to the boy's face knocking him to the ground.

* * *

**9:00 AM**

Lex quickly found her speed greatly increased, and her endurance was enhanced from that of a human's. She ran through the forest scanning everything she could but found no trace of her target.

Lex suddenly found herself looking down on a small Colorado town. Lex quickly programmed her cloaking device and made herself invisible. The town appeared to have a population of a few thousand, enough for those aliens to create a large hive.

Lex went back into the forest hoping she would be able to find the aliens before the townspeople did.

* * *

**12:00 PM**

The face-huggers had detached themselves from their two hosts and died nearby. The hunter got up and wondered what had happened to him. His son likewise was now awake. The hunter realized his arm was missing but something else was wrong. Suddenly, he felt enormous pressure in his chest. Before he could know whether he was having a heart attack or not, an alien head blasted through his chest.

The son looked at his father in horror and then experienced the same pressure. Another alien blasted through his chest and screamed as it reached the outside. The two slumped as Xenomorphs escaped their chests and ran off.

* * *

**Yautja Outpost**

Thousands of light-years away, a Yautja warrior looked at his viewer screen. The planet had an orange atmosphere and a desert terrain. There was a small settlement planted into the rock. The Yautja warrior could see the damage Yautja spaceship descending into Earth's atmosphere. Deactivating the view screen, the Yautja warrior got off his chair and collected his weapons for battle.

Within a few moments, the Yautja warrior was in his own ship. The ship blasted off and headed toward Earth at maximum speed.

* * *

**Earth**

Lex found it easier to scan on the top of trees. A previous hiker, she had no fear of heights. Using her blades, she expertly climbed up the trees and looked around. Lex felt a sense of invulnerability in her more powerful body. She found that she could leap from one branch to another with ease.

As she leaped from one tree to another, Lex realized that her body might be ideal for hiking and climbing. With the proper gear, she would be able to climb the highest peaks in half the time. Lex looked at her blades as her feet rested on a branch.

"I could probably climb without any gear," she thought to herself.

As these thoughts entered her mind, she suddenly realized what she had become. She was a monstrous creature, an alien from another planet. She would never be able to interact with humans. The closest she could get was observing them with her cloaking device. She felt some bitterness with the Yautja for what they had done to her.

Still, she was the only one who could stop the Hybrid and save the planet. With that thought in mind, Lex continued her search through the forest.

* * *

**3:00 PM**

Lex became frustrated with her lack of success and went back towards the crater for any clues. Back where she started from, she used various visual scanners to track the face-huggers' movements. To her surprise, she was able to find small traces of identifiable fluid that created a trail.

Lex carefully walked through the forest and continued to track the fluid marks. Eventually, she came upon the bodies of an adult male hunter and his son. Lex saw that their chests had been blasted open. Lex had seen similar scenes before when it came to her crew. An alien had burst out of them.

Lex remembered what the Elder had told her: no evidence. She took out the vial of blue liquid and carefully took the cap off. She then poured a small amount on both bodies. The liquid immediately dissolved the bodies removing all traces of them. Lex felt a sense of disgust as the young boy's body was completely dissolved.

Putting the vial back in her belt, Lex found a new trail of blood and fluid.

* * *

**6:00 PM**

As it became evening, Lex continued to track the trail. Broken branches, small footprints, and destroyed vegetation gave her small clues on where the face-huggers were going. It became clear that the face-huggers were moving towards the city.

The start of the night made no difference to Lex; her infrared scanners were able to see everything as if it were the day. The fluid the face-huggers gave off was a slightly different color than the rest of the environment.

After a long search, Lex sat down and turned off her cloaking device. The only food provided for her was these injections. Lex considered the small needle and sighed as she injected herself with nutrients. Lex estimated that within a few days, she would run out. She wasn't sure what she would do then. Hunt for deer or elk? The idea was not overly appealing.

Lex considered the idea of using her cloaking device to go grocery shopping. The absurd idea made her smile on the inside. She needed to keep her sense of humor alive if she were to stay sane through this ordeal.

Standing up, Lex looked around and readied herself to resume the tracking. Lex quickly turned around; she had heard something. She faced a sheriff officer a small distance away from her.

"How did he sneak up on me?" Lex wondered and then kicked herself for being so careless.

The sheriff gave a stunned look and pointed his gun at her in fear. Lex wasn't sure if the sheriff's gun would hurt her new anatomy, but she wasn't going to take any chances. She extended her right blades; hopefully, the sheriff would run off.

The sheriff instead cocked his pistol at her. Lex knew the only way to solve this problem would be to reason with the man. She walked over to the sheriff. "All I have to do is get him to shut up and realize we are on the same side," Lex thought to herself.

"Don't get any closer," the sheriff said fearfully.

Lex gave an annoyed expression underneath her mask. The sheriff was white and not physically impressive. Lex put her hands up in a defensive stance but the sheriff was still pointing his gun at her.

"Please put the weapon down," Lex said.

The sheriff didn't budge. Lex quickly realized she was talking in Yautja. Lex walked closer to the sheriff putting her hands up so he wouldn't shoot her. Maybe she could get close enough to take his gun away and reason with him.

Lex got close enough to the sheriff that she would be able to take his pistol away from him. Suddenly he shot at her; the bullet bounced off her mask harmlessly. Lex instinctively shot out her blades into the sheriff's chest. Lex quickly removed her blade but the damage was already done; her right blades were bloodied from the sheriff.

The sheriff looked at her in shock and then fell to the ground lifeless. Lex could see two slice marks through the sheriff's chest. She checked to see if he was alive; he was dead. The blades had sliced through a lung and his heart.

Lex felt a sense of panic wash over her as she realized what she had done. A man was dead, not just any man but a sheriff. Immediately, she began to rationalize the event. The sheriff attacked her first, right? It was a reflex, it was self-defense. What would they do to her? Lock her up?

Lex looked around to see if anyone was around. Her long-range scanners detected a crowd of people walking in the area. Why was the sheriff so far out in the forest? Maybe it was to search for the hunter and his kid. Lex considered putting some of the liquid on the sheriff but thought better of it. She would need to conserve it if she was going to hide all evidence of the aliens.

Still, she couldn't just leave the dead sheriff on the ground. As she looked at the dead sheriff, she found herself feeling apathy for him. She was no longer human and that fact made her feel less connected to the sheriff for some reason. Lex looked up and saw a tall tree nearby.

Moments later, Lex dropped down from the tree. She had hung the body up in the tree where he would not be easily discovered. She didn't have time to bury him or hide him away someplace safe; it would have to do. Lex then turned on her cloaking device to avoid a similar incident.

Lex reflected on the killing. The sheriff was the second human she had killed. In the pyramid, she had killed one of the crew members as an alien burst from his chest. She had been human back then with Scar watching over her. She had pulled the trigger on her pistol ending the man's life. It was a mercy killing; the man died before he could feel the pain of his chest ripping open.

Lex sighed as she realized her life had fundamentally changed. Leaping up into the trees, Lex went from one tree to the next towards the crowd of people. With her cloaking device, she would not be detected by the crowd. Lex could see the warm bodies of the crowd as they passed her way. They had bright flash-lights and were shouting the names of the two presumably missing.

Lex could see an advantage in the authorities looking for the two missing people. If they continued to search for bodies that would never be found, she would be able to work easier without interference.

* * *

**9:00 PM**

Lex cautiously stalked through the sewers in the search for Xenomorphs. Her mask was able to provide night vision in the pitch black sewers. As she walked through the sewer system; she found herself oddly unaware of her former distaste for them. Normally, she wouldn't ever consider walking through the liquid surface of a sewer, but things were different now. With her mask firmly in place over her nose, she could not sense the smells found in a typical sewer. Even if she took off the mask, she was uncertain if it would make a difference.

Her vision system kept constant track for heat signatures throughout the sewers; the majority of detections were rats. Finally, after a period of searching, she found evidence of a Xenomorph nearby. A human body lay on the ground dead. As she examined the body, she realized that his chest had been punched out by a Xenomorph. Lex looked around and found two more bodies; they were all homeless.

Lex felt a slight emotion of pity for them but then remembered her mission. Taking out a blue vial, she poured the contents on the dead bodies and watched as they completely dissolved. Lex was spared the bloody sight by her vision sensors that denied her the specifics of the acid dissolving flesh and blood.

Realizing she was close, Lex continued down the sewer looking in every direction for a sign. Suddenly a green flash showed up on her vision sensors. A Xenomorph appeared hugging the ceiling of the sewer. It stared at her as if observing her and then snarled with its mouth. Lex immediately felt a surge of hormones as she became excited. She had never fought a Xenomorph one-on-one before.

With her mind, she activated her targeting system which immediately zeroed in on the Xenomorph. "Gotcha," Lex said to herself as she fired.

A blue blast of plasma went through the air and hit the Xenomorph causing it to explode on impact. What was left of the Xenomorph fell to the ground in the water. Lex put her hands together in pleased observance of the dead alien; her second kill.

The death of the first Xenomorph caused others to come to investigate. Lex quickly found three more Xenomorphs crawling towards her. Looking behind her, she realized that more Xenomorphs were headed toward her from the opposite direction. Lex fired off another blast hitting a Xenomorph critically. The two other Xenomorphs scrambled away and took to either side of her.

Lex extended her wrist blades and kept track of both aliens. The two Xenomorphs hissed at her and whirled their tails in a threatening gesture. Lex fired but missed causing the floor of the sewers to explode upward. The first Xenomorph leaped at her with its second mandible extended. Lex blocked the Xenomorph with her right arm knocking the alien away from her. The second curled its tail around her foot and caused her to fall to the ground. Lex fell with a thud.

The second Xenomorph leaped on her and snarled at her with its two mouths. Lex put her two hands up and kept the Xenomorph at bay from puncturing her mask. The Xenomorph whirled its tail to strike her. Lex kicked the Xenomorph off her causing it to slam into a sewer wall. Amazed by her strength, Lex got back to her feet and was immediately attacked by the first Xenomorph. She fired off another shot which missed. The shot blasted a hole into the sewer wall but caused the Xenomorph to cautiously move away from her.

The second was not so cautious and sprung at her once more. Lex turned around and punched the Xenomorph down to the ground and then fired at it. The blast hit the Xenomorph's head causing it to explode. Lex turned around and fired at the first Xenomorph hitting it in the chest. The Xenomorph fell to the ground dead.

"I think I got the hang of this," Lex thought happily.

A Xenomorph tail suddenly slammed into her back dropping her. Lex moved out of the way as the tail almost struck her again. She fired at the third Xenomorph causing it to explode. Its acidic blood got on her causing her tough skin to burn. Lex felt some discomfort and used the sewer water to get it off her. As she sat in the water, she saw more Xenomorphs approaching her.

Getting back to her feet, Lex targeted the Xenomorphs one-by-one. Plasma blasts hit three more causing them to explode on impact. Lex looked around and saw several Xenomorph corpses. She didn't have enough of the vial to get rid of all of the bodies. Lex then saw another reading on her computer vision screen.

It dropped down and held her tightly in a wrestler's grip. Lex stared at the Hybrid as it snarled at her. It was taller than her and more muscularly built. Lex had never seen it up close before; it was nearly as impressive as the Queen. Lex tried to target the Hybrid, but she was too close to it to get out a shot. Instead, she tried to punch the Hybrid away. The Hybrid swat at her smacking her masked face. Lex was stunned by the blow but stayed on her feet. Had she not been masked it would have created heavy damage.

Lex kicked the Hybrid in the gut causing it to roar at her. Lex attempted to target the Hybrid causing blue plasma blasts to fill the sewer in random directions. The Hybrid decided to leave the scene and sprung up through a hole Lex had made in the sewer ceiling. Lex looked up and realized that the Hybrid was now retreating to the surface. Bending her knees, she launched herself up to the surface and looked around.

It was dark and there was little traffic. Lex lost sight of the Hybrid as she looked in all directions. Realizing she was exposed, she turned on her cloaking device and ran off down the street.

* * *

A Yautja ship soared through Earth's atmosphere and landed in a large lake close to the crash site of the first ship. The ship quickly sank into the lake avoiding all detection. After a few moments, the Yautja Warrior known as Wolf sprung out of the water and calmly walked onto the shore.

He was masked, heavily armed, and about the same relative size to that of the Elder that had taught Lex. Turning on his invisibility cloak, he walked towards the crash site. Once he got there, he saw a large crater where the ship should have been. His vision sensors picked up a type of radiation only associated with a Yautja wrist detonator.

Walking around the perimeter of the crash site, it was not long before he found the dissolved remains of the hunter and his son. His vision sensors detected the chemical substance commonly used by the Yautja to get rid of the evidence. A Yautja survivor had survived the crash.

* * *

**12:00 AM**

Lex sat in a tree in a cemetery wondering what to do as time passed. The town seemed to be moving again in another attempt to find the hunter and his son. Suddenly, the power went off in the entire city. Finding this peculiar, Lex looked around and saw people walking outside in a panicked fashion.

"Had the aliens destroyed the power supply?" Lex wondered.

Lex heard some shouting close by. A man with a gun in his hand was threatening a woman and her child. Lex listened intently as it appeared the man was demanding all of their belongings. The man suddenly cocked the gun and aimed it at the child.

Lex had a quick second to react. She targeted the man and fired. The blast hit the man's head causing it to explode. The headless body fell to the ground among the tombstones. The little girl screamed as she saw what happened. The woman, the mother took the child away from the body and took her to another location.

Lex considered what she had done. She had saved a life, hadn't she? This has been her third human kill and she felt terrible about it. She glanced at the headless body, but it didn't seem to affect her. Her vision was in night vision green; she could not see the blood.

* * *

**1:00 AM**

Xenomorphs were on the loose in the town. Sightings had been spotted all over the town and now suddenly the National Guard had been called in. Convoys of soldiers entered the city with automatic weapons. Lex tried to stay clear of them in case she was spotted. She was certain that the National Guard would be all too willing to shoot her down.

Observing the town, she saw some people entering a sport's store. Xenomorphs then raced toward the store; surrounding the store they then went inside. Alarmed, Lex leaped from building to building as she got closer to the sport's store.

Inside the store, humans were attempting to fend off the aliens with various weapons found in the store. Once Lex got to the scene, some of the aliens were dead while others had escaped. She found two headless men on the floor along with a few other humans. Some had been killed by Xenomorph stabs to the head while others were clearly killed by a plasma blast.

Lex felt the human side of herself become chilled as she realized that another Yautja was in the area. Lex left the scene and searched for humans and Xenomorphs.

* * *

**2:00 AM**

Wolf ran down the halls of the hospital as he killed several Xenomorphs. His plasma cannon had been damaged in the battle at the sport's store. He now used it as a gun manually fired by a trigger mechanism. As he went about his work, humans, would on occasion, get in his way. He swung a shuriken into the air that was supposed to slice into a Xenomorph. Instead, it sliced through a human female killing her instantly.

Lex reached the hospital and saw plasma firing from the windows of the top floor. An experienced climber, Lex raced up the stairs to the top floor. The humans retreated to the top floor where a helicopter was perched. Xenomorphs engaged them from all sides. One of the humans had confiscated Wolf's plasma gun and was now firing it at the Xenomorphs.

Lex reached the top floor and saw the battle before her. Aiming her red beam on the Xenomorphs, she fired at them killing them. The humans, numbering a half-dozen survivors, looked at her with frightened expressions.

"I am here to help," she told them.

Her tone resembled a computer through her mask. It was masculine sounding and mechanical, but it got the message across. The humans simply stared at her in fear. The one named Dallas still held his plasma gun at her.

"I think we can trust it," the one named Kelly said.

Lex appreciated the vote of confidence but not in being referred to as an "it." "We have to get out of this town. I think they're going to bomb it," Kelly told her.

Bomb the town? Who and why? Lex then considered the situation; the other Yautja might be willing to destroy the entire town to get rid of the infestation. If that was the case, she would have to stop him.

"I can't believe the military would bomb the entire town," one of the humans expressed with dismay.

"Is it really that far-fetched?" Kelly argued.

The military? Would they actually nuke a town to control the situation? Do they know about aliens? Lex didn't have the answer to these questions but for the time being, she needed to concentrate on survival and saving these humans.

"Get the chopper ready," Lex ordered.

The humans nodded in stunned amazement. Kelly entered the helicopter and worked to activate it. Suddenly, Lex saw him above her a short distance away. Wolf looked down her with his mask; he was no longer cloaked.

"That's the other one," Dallas said holding up his gun.

Lex pushed Dallas gun down. There was no need to antagonize the Yautja. She barely noticed it, but her strength and power were at least double a human male; it was unreal. She could over-power Dallas with ease as well as the other humans.

Wolf dropped down closer to her and began clicking at her. Lex understood the clicking in part. She understood his emotions. He was angry at her for getting in his way. He extended his wrist blades in a threatening manner. The humans stared at Lex wondering if she would kill them or defend them.

Lex looked at the humans and then back at Wolf. The male Yautja was bigger and more experienced than her. If she couldn't win, she could at least stall him until the humans left. Lex extended her wrist blades and took up a fighting stance against Wolf.

Wolf clicked amusement at her downplaying her abilities. Lex became annoyed with his attitude and fired off a plasma burst at him. The blast nearly missed Wolf's head and shot off into the air; an intended miss. Wolf stared at her; his clicking ceased.

Lex engaged in some clicking of her own presenting her emotions of anger at him. Wolf clicked back; he was no longer amused but greatly angered by her. Wolf extended a spear and held it above his head. Lex targeted Wolf for the kill this time.

Wolf whirled his spear over his head and then threw it at Lex with amazing accuracy. Lex froze up as the spear hit her plasma cannon. The plasma cannon fell off her shoulder and hit the ground; it was damaged and unusable. The spear punctured an air conditioner unit behind her.

Wolf dropped down and rushed Lex with his blades extended. Lex kept her arms outstretched as she braced for impact. Wolf attempted to slice at her neck in a killer blow. Lex dodged the attack and tried to slice at his chest. Wolf blocked the attack with his other blade. Wolf sliced down on Lex slicing her right arm. Lex retaliated by slicing his leg.

The two circled each other for a moment and then Wolf went in for another attack. Lex dodged the blow, but his wrist blade sparked off her mask. She punched him hard to the face knocking his head aside. He then kicked her to the ground. He sliced down nearly missing her; she sliced at his ankles causing him to roar in annoyance.

Lex got back on her feet; her wounds bled green. Wolf also bled green blood from his wounds, but he didn't seem affected by them. Wolf stared at Lex for a moment and then decided to take off his mask. Lex watched as his mask slowly came off revealing his true face. It was similar to other Yautja from the ship, but she could also see differences more clearly. Wolf dropped the mask on the ground and then roared at her. Lex decided to like-wise take off her mask; it just seemed like the right thing to do.

Lex took off her mask and dropped it on the ground. Her vision changed dramatically as the mask fell off her face. She realized that her vision was rather poor and the colors were different. Wolf seemed to hesitate to attack her and then looked at the humans near the helicopter.

He dismissed Lex and rushed the humans, especially the one with his gun. Before he reached Dallas, Lex pulled him back keeping him from getting closer to them. Wolf elbowed her hard to gut causing waves of pain to flow through her. Lex retaliated by punching him hard to the back. Wolf whirled around and smacked her to the face. Lex grabbed a hold of Wolf and head-butted him stunning both momentarily.

Suddenly, an explosion erupted from the floor of the roof. Wolf and Lex turned to see the Hybrid climbing onto the surface. Wolf looked at Lex and then at the Hybrid. The Hybrid snarled at them both with its salivating mandibles. It whirled its tail in an aggressive manner. Wolf went into a fighting stance and confronted the Hybrid.

Lex watched in amazement as the two titans dueled before her. Wolf sliced upward into the Hybrid's head but the Hybrid sliced into Wolf's gut with its tail spraying green blood on the floor. Wolf gave a roar in pain as he continued to struggle with the Hybrid. Lex looked around her and saw the spear still inside the air conditioner unit. She ran over to it and pulled it out.

Wolf saw Lex take out the spear and decided it was time to acknowledge his destiny. He clasped onto the Hybrid even as it sliced more into him. Bearing the pain, Wolf continued to hold on as the Hybrid slashed at his chest and arms. Lex ran with the spear and sliced it through the Hybrid causing it to screech in pain. Lex dodged the Hybrid's tail as it swung around her. Keeping her grip on the spear, she attempted to peal the Hybrid off of Wolf. A bloody Wolf sank his blades into the Hybrid's neck spraying acidic blood on him.

Finally, the Hybrid fell to the ground dead. Wolf fell to the ground severely wounded from the fight. He reached for his wrist to activate his thermonuclear weapon. Lex knelt next to him and realized what he was about to do.

"Activate that and I will cut your arm off," she threatened in English.

Wolf seemed to understand and closed the lid on his bomb. "Plan?" he made out in English.

"I will take you back to your ship," Lex offered.

Wolf said nothing and then activated another device. Lex looked at it cautiously ready to kill him if he tried anything. "Ship….come to me," he said.

Lex nodded giving him permission. Within a few moments, his ship decloaked above their heads. The humans stared up at the ship in amazement as it descended down on the rooftop. "Take my body," Wolf requested faintly.

"I can't pilot that thing," Lex protested.

"It knows where to go," Wolf replied.

Lex looked upon Wolf as he closed his eyes and died. Lex looked back at the humans. Could she go back with them? Lex looked at her reptilian looking hands and then at Wolf. No, she was no longer human. She didn't belong here.

"Go!" she told the humans.

The humans got into the helicopter and took off into the air. Lex grabbed a hold of Wolf's body and dragged it towards the ship. Eventually, she managed to get it on board. The ship became active and took off from the hospital roof. Rapidly accelerating, the ship went through the atmosphere with ease and floated into space.

Lex watched in amazement as the alien ship headed away from Earth. As Earth became smaller, she saw a small flash of light in the Western United States where she had left from.

The Yautja ship picked up speed and headed toward an unknown area of space. Earth was far behind and now the Sun had become no different than any other star. Lex considered Wolf's body; its wounds had sealed up. Lex picked up the heavy body and put it on a table. She was now alone on an alien ship.

As the ship sped towards its final destination, Lex used her medical tools to heal her wounds. When she had sealed all of her wounds; she explored the ship. It was similar in design to the first ship she was on, but a little smaller. She explored Wolf's trophy room; it was filled with various skulls of alien life forms from all over the galaxy. To her dismay, she found a large collection of human skulls.

She also found a table filled with various weapons. Some were familiar to her while others were new. Feeling the weight of her equipment she stripped it off and placed it on the table. She then entered Wolf's private quarters and found a small reddish hologram of several Yautja. Some were female and some were children; Lex determined the hologram to be Wolf's extended family.

Looking around the room, she found what resembled a bed. It was not all that different from a human bed except there was no need for blankets; the ship's temperature was comfortably warm for her. Exhausted by her ordeal, she rested on the bed and went to sleep.


	3. The Trial

Lex woke up with a start as alarms sounded through the ship. Getting to her feet she entered the bridge and found out what was happening. The ship was descending into the atmosphere of another planet. Lex stared wide-eyed as she saw another alien planet for the first time.

She looked at the controls but didn't understand them; she assumed it was on auto-pilot the whole time. The ship proceeded to land in what could be described as a desert environment. The ship perched on a landing pad and then its engines shut off automatically. The doors of the ship opened allowing Lex to leave. Lex was uncertain as to what to do. She had never been to another planet before. What if the air was toxic?

Looking at the window a group of Yautja gathered around the ship. None of them wore masks. Lex decided to risk it and went outside to meet the group. As she exited the ship; she did, in fact, find the air breathable. Immediately, she was given a barrage of clicks from the Yautja as she exited the ship. She could sense confusion and anxiety in their tone but couldn't make out any real sentences.

A half dozen warriors approached her with wrist blades extended and spears ready. They surrounded her and then clicked at her. Lex shrugged her shoulders in a very human expression as they clicked at her. The Yautja warriors looked at each other and then decided to detain her. Two went inside the ship and found Wolf's body.

Lex watched as the two Yautja warriors brought Wolf's body to plain view. The crowd clicked furiously as they saw the body but allowed the warriors to take the body into the city nearby. The crowd respectfully created a path for the two warriors to carry the body away.

The remaining warriors then glared at Lex and clicked at her. "I didn't do it," Lex said lamely in English.

* * *

The Yautja warriors brought Lex into the city and then detained her in a cell. The bars were strong enough to keep her locked up. Lex considered her miserable existence as she sat in the cell. Was she blamed for Wolf's death? What would happen to her now? The prison guards rarely clicked at her and when they did she could barely understand them.

After several hours, the jail cell became unlocked. Lex was taken to another room and sat down in a chair. An elder Yautja seemed to prepare a weapon of sort and came near to her. Lex immediately began to struggle, but the other warriors kept her down. The elder took the weapon of sort and then punctured her skull. Lex felt an intense pain in her forehead, but she realized she wasn't dying.

The elder then started clicking at her and she immediately began understanding what he was saying. "Do you understand me now?" he asked.

"Yes," Lex clicked.

"A universal translator has been installed inside your brain. It will allow you to understand us until you can learn on your own," the elder told her.

Lex nodded in response. The elder stared at her; he was not familiar with human expressions. "I am sending you to a doctor for examination," he said and then dismissed her.

* * *

Lex was brought to a hospital of sorts by several armed guards. Inside the facility, injured Yautja warriors were carried through the halls on metal platforms. As she went through the halls, she saw some Yautja that looked severely injured, some had lost limbs, and others looked a different color than they should be. There were several elder looking Yautja that seemed to be the physicians. On occasion, she would see one of the elders inject a substance into an injured Yautja.

Lex was summoned into a room; a lone guard kept watch over her while the others stood outside. The doctor was an elder but one wouldn't notice by his dress. Like the others, he was well equipped with various instruments.

"I require blood from you to determine your genetic history," the doctor said taking a sample.

Lex winced as green blood was taken from her arm. The doctor then turned away from Lex and entered the sample into a computer. The computer showed different red combinations that made up the Yautja language. Despite the universal translator, she couldn't determine it. The doctor waited as the computer showed her genetic structure.

The doctor seemed to peer at the screen for a long time and then furiously worked on the computer. Lex noticed that the same result was resurfacing on the computer screen. The doctor turned to Lex and then at the screen. Finally, he walked up to Lex and looked her over.

"Strip," was all he said.

Lex simply stared at him. "Do you understand me? Take off your garments," he ordered.

Lex looked at the guard in the room; he didn't make a sound. Lex relented; she was half-naked anyway as it was. She unhooked her metallic bra that protected her breasts from attack. Putting it aside she then stripped the rest of her garments and threw them aside. The doctor inspected her body and then cupped her breasts as if determining their firmness. Lex would have been embarrassed if not for the strangeness of the situation. The doctor then touched her mandibles on both sides of her face.

"Open your mouth," he ordered.

Lex complied opening her mouth to its fullest extent. Her mandibles became extended outward as she did this. The doctor looked into her and examined her teeth and jaw structure. Satisfied he turned back to the computer screen. Lex looked around the room uncomfortably. In a sense, she was in an alien skin, like a Halloween costume. On the other hand, she was completely naked in front of this guard. If the guard had any enjoyment from her torment he didn't show it.

The doctor then inputted information on the computer through a touch screen. His fingers were quick as he formed symbols on the screen and sent it to another facility. When he was finished he turned back to Lex.

"You are to be sent to the tribunal," the doctor informed her.

"What for?" Lex demanded in guttural English.

"Your transformation was not authorized by the High Council. As a human, you are the prey and have no rights to life," the doctor told her.

"The tribunal will decide your fate," the doctor concluded.

"Can I least have some clothes?" Lex asked annoyed.

The doctor nodded and reach for a compartment next to his equipment. It was a white two-piece garment. One garment wrapped around the hips like a belt and acted like a cape or skirt down the legs. The other crisscrossed over her shoulders and covered her breasts. The doctor then locked a collar around her neck that resembled a necklace.

"For monitoring purposes," he told her.

* * *

Lex was led by the guards to a transport vehicle outside the hospital and forced inside it. The transport vehicle hovered above the ground and its front resembled an animal skull. The top of the transport looked like a spine that curved the vehicle upward. Once she was inside, she could not help but think that the transport was a living organism.

The transport sped across the desert environment toward another building. It was a large pyramid among smaller pyramids around it. The pyramid was made of a black jade material and reached heights surpassing the largest pyramids on Earth. The guards led Lex toward the pyramid and then proceeded to lead her into a large circular room.

The room held seats on all sides with a large podium towards the end of the room. There was a circular floor cleared of seats. As Lex looked over the room she found that it resembled a court-room of a sort. The guards sat her down and then went back towards the doors to guard the entrances.

Soon, more Yautja entered the room. They were all unmasked but heavily armed with plasma cannons, wrist blades, and other various weapons on their belts. Most looked like elders but some were warriors; none were female. A large elder Yautja took to the podium and stared down at Lex; he was the acting judge. Within a few moments, the room was filled with Yautja males looking down on her.

Suddenly, a hand grasped her shoulder. Lex jumped and spun around. An elder Yautja appeared before her and stared down at her. Lex looked up at the elder fearfully wondering what he would do.

"I am to represent you during these proceedings," he told her.

Lex felt relieved, at least she was going to receive some help. As she looked towards the other side of the room, she saw another Yautja who was apparently her prosecutor.

"Begin the memory extraction," the Judge ordered.

Lex was pulled away from her seat and placed in a seat next to the Judge's podium. A helmet, of a sort, was placed on her head covering her eyes. There was a hum as the helmet became activated. Lex suddenly saw images of everything she had seen in the last few days. Once the machine was done reading all of her recent memories, it deactivated. The helmet was taken off her head and then she was led back to her seat.

In the center of the floor, a red holographic projection appeared life-size. The Yautja Judge and the audience began to view Lex's memories of what had occurred. There were some random clicking around the room as events took place in the projection. The projection showed only previews of her memories, as it would take days to review all of her memories. The tribunal was only interested in the relevant information.

When the projection finished, the lights went back on. "Are you satisfied with the review?" the Judge asked both the defense and prosecution. They both nodded their approval.

The Judge then turned to Lex. "Human: you were transported by a Yautja ship on the southernmost continent on the planet you call Earth after a successful hunt of the Xenomorphs. This should have not occurred. I do not agree that they should have killed you as you proved your abilities by killing one Xenomorph and assisting in the killing of the Xenomorph Queen. However, you should have been left behind on Earth to survive on your own," the Judge said.

"I would have frozen to death!" Lex protested.

The Judge gave Lex an annoyed look for interrupting him; other warriors and elders also clicked in disapproval. "A true warrior would have found a way to survive but, in any case, it was not a decision that should have been made. Despite this, we do not hold it against you," the judge told her.

"The transformation of one species to a Yautja is extremely rare and not taken lightly. Only three known species are able to survive the procedure but humans are the most tolerant of the genetic changes. We assume you gave a powerful impression to the captain or he would not have given you the procedure," the Judge continued.

"But the decision to genetically change a prey to a predator is to be made by this Council and not by a single captain," the Judge said sternly.

There were clicks of approval by all involved in the room. "Now that she is genetically a Yautja she must receive the same rights as any citizen of the empire," the Elder for the Defense spoke up.

"For having a Yautja genetic structure the accused is granted a category 1 rank," the Judge allowed.

The Elder for the Defense seemed satisfied with this ruling. "The charges we seek…," the Prosecutor spoke up.

"Yes, the charges are as followed: The accused faces the charge of exposing herself to human prey, improperly disposing of Xenomorph bodies, assaulting a fellow Yautja warrior which led to his death, and allowing the human prey to confiscate our weapon technology," the Judge listed off.

"How does the accused plead?" the Judge asked.

"Innocent!" Lex pressed to the Elder to the Defense.

"Innocent by reason of ignorance," the Elder for the Defense answered.

"What is your argument?" the Judge asked the Elder for the Defense.

"The accused cannot be expected to know the traditions, laws, and customs of our society. She was never taught this by the captain on board nor could she appreciate the consequences of her actions," the Elder for the Defense reasoned.

"She was taught our laws concerning the risk of exposing ourselves to prey and disposing of dead bodies by the captain before he died," the Prosecutor pointed out.

"It is true, however, the instruction was not nearly complete. The accused made a good faith effort to stay concealed and dispose of as many bodies as she could with a limited supply of acidic chemicals. The only thing she is guilty of is being stupid and ignorant," the Elder for the Defense replied.

The Judge considered the arguments and then the evidence he had just seen. "I agree. The charges against the accused concerning the exposing of evidence have been dismissed. The fault for these infractions lies with the captain who is deceased," the Judge said.

"There are other charges. She attacked the warrior Wolf in order to save a pack of humans," the Prosecutor argued.

"She still had a strong connection to her former kind. It was completely understandable to defend them against Wolf. In the end, she killed the Hybrid and brought back Wolf's body to us," the Defense pointed out.

"If not for her interference Wolf would still be alive," the Prosecutor pressed.

"Without her assistance, it is doubtful he would have been able to survive against the Hybrid," the Defense shot back.

"Enough. The initial attack on Wolf is canceled out by her later assistance against the Hybrid. Her attachment to humans is also understandable and an unavoidable consequence of not properly training the accused. The charge is dismissed," the Judge ruled.

There was a murmuring among the crowd as the Judge ruled. "Lastly, she allowed our technology to be confiscated by the humans. This is expressively forbidden in the codes," the Prosecutor said angrily.

"Codes of which the accused knows nothing about. I request that the Court consider reparations instead of punishment," the Defense asked.

"What kinds of reparations?" the Judge asked.

"I request that she be sent back to Earth to find the weapon and bring it back to us," the Defense suggested.

"If she is allowed to come back to Earth, she will allow the humans to confiscate more of our technology," the Prosecutor objected.

"Then she should be supervised. Among all the Yautja in this room, she knows the most about Earth and how to best secure the weapon," the Defense offered.

"She will have to take the warrior's test," the Prosecutor stalled.

"She has already achieved that with the kill of the Xenomorph," the Defense said.

"The kill, although honorable, does not qualify her as a warrior," the Prosecutor reminded the Defense.

"Agreed, she must complete the trials," the Judge allowed.

The Judge then turned to Lex. "I am giving you a few choices that will define your future from now on. Since your genetic change is permanent and irreversible you will become one of us. As such, you must prove yourself in one of two ways: You may face several trials that will put your skills to test and then you will lead a squad to reacquire the weapon you lost. Or you may be transported to the homeworld where you will be established as a breeder," the Judge told her.

"What does he mean by a breeder?" Lex whispered to the Defense.

"You will mate and produce offspring the rest of your life," the Defense told her.

Lex gave him a stunned look. "I am going to go with the first option," Lex said in poor Yautja.

The Judge gave her a look of impatience with her. "In addition, you will learn our language and customs," the Judge said irritably.

"I request that the acquitted be subjected to the trials immediately," the Prosecutor said zealously.

The Judge gave the Prosecution a look of irritation and then activated a hologram of a planet. The hologram was considerably detailed in features and was red in color. There were oceans and what seemed like forests covering the planet.

"Your trial shall be in the Scorpion system," the Judge announced.

There was a positive commotion from the announcement among the crowd present. Lex looked up at the Elder in confusion. "The Scorpion system is known for lethal wild game," the Elder said vaguely.

"You will hunt with a group of youths and when you have completed the kill, you will hunt on your own. If you survive and manage to complete a kill, you will have passed the trials," the Judge told her.

"You will be granted every resource given to any other warrior," the Judge added.

  
  



	4. The Test

A Yautja cruiser descended on the Scorpion system, a forested planet with no known civilizations. The cruiser didn't bother to cloak itself as no sentient being would be able to see it. The ship easily went through the atmosphere and then gracefully landed amidst the forest trees. Unlike Earth, these trees were massive reaching heights three times that of a normal Earth tree. Their trunks were massive, and their branches reached so far that the planet's sunlight faced difficulty getting to the ground.

The Yautja cruiser hovered above the trees for a moment, as the warriors inside prepared to drop in. Lex was among those warriors. She had been given the same amount of equipment as the others; a mask, plasma cannon, knives, cloaking device, spear, net projectile gun, and a medical kit.

The trip to a new planet was beyond her comprehension. She was now the first human to have visited two different planets. She considered herself an explorer, not much different than her previous profession. With any luck, she would be able to find new cliffs, mountains, and glaciers to climb and conquer. These were the thoughts that went through Lex's head as she prepared for almost certain doom.

She was terribly nervous and frightened as to what she was supposed to do. However, her new physiology did not permit her to show this openly. Her hands did not shake and her new face held no expression especially behind a new mask. Some of the other warriors looked at her curiously with their masked faces. Lex could not tell if they knew whether she was scared or not. She could not tell what they were thinking. Of the dozen or so on the ship, she was the only female.

Suddenly, an elder stood up among the others and began to click. It was an explanation as to what they were doing, what dangers awaited, and what to do during an attack. It was a speech of enthusiasm and determination. Lex could not help but feel confident in her new leader even if it was for a brief time. Her enthusiasm greatly changed as the floor began to open up.

Lex hugged the walls firmly as the floor opened revealing the trees below. The drop was rather long; it would easily kill her if she fell. The wind immediately rushed into the room making it difficult for Lex to hold on. The other warriors seemed to know what they were doing. They attached a rope cable to their gear and prepared to drop down. Lex imitated them and successfully attached the cable to her belt. It wasn't all that different from when she went climbing.

As soon as the cables were attached, each of the warriors dropped down into the forest environment. Lex was the last to go, but she finally brought herself to drop down. The fall was quick and short. As soon as she landed on the ground, she detached the cable and looked up as the cable disappeared into the ship. Looking up, she could no longer see the ship as the sky had been blocked out by the tree branches.

Following her training, she immediately cloaked. The sensation of being cloaked was different and a little weird for Lex. The sensation was similar to static electricity buzzing above her skin. It didn't burn nor was it painful, but it was different. Lex did an immediate scan and couldn't detect the others; they must have cloaked as well. She was alone.

Lex cautiously walked among the trees in cloak. Her task was to bring back the skull of a giant beast she couldn't pronounce. The task seemed barbaric and crude to her when she was first told of it. It was an ironic twist that a race of aliens with superior technology would still resort to hunting and killing other animals. Lex was no vegetarian, but she expected more from a race that prided itself on collecting skulls.

Finally, her scanners found something. It was small, and she had difficulty telling what it was. She used her mind to change her vision scanners so she could get a better look. The scans gave her the image of what could resemble a frog. It was amphibian, had three legs, and had three eyes on both sides of its face. Lex's first reaction to the creature was that of disgust but some curiosity. She knew she had to be careful with this frog, as she knew all sorts of poisonous frogs found in the Amazons back on Earth.

The frog seemed to stare at her and then croaked loudly. Lex wondered if the frog was able to see her with its six eyes. As the frog began to stick its tongue at her, Lex felt an instinctive need to kill this creature. Instead, she decided to walk past it.

However, the frog had other plans as it opened its mouth. Its mouth was full of razor-sharp teeth that resembled a piranha or a shark. The frog shot out its long tongue and attached itself to her wrist blade. It then jumped up and engaged her with its large mouth filled with teeth. Lex instinctively extended her blades and sliced the frog's mouth in two before it could reach her. The broken frog fell to the ground dead. Lex sliced off the frog's tongue off her wrist blade and stared at the dead frog. Had her vision not been changed dramatically, she would have been disgusted by the mess.

Walking past the dead frog, she heard some more croaking noise ahead of her. Lex tried to concentrate as the croaking became louder. Within a few moments, dozens of frogs were hopping towards her with their mouths open. Lex immediately extended both wrist blades and activated her plasma cannon. The frogs flooded the forest and were now after her.

Lex ran through the forest leaping over dead trees, brush, rocks, and uneven ground as the frogs pursued her. Lex could not hesitate to consider the ridiculousness of being hunted down by a pack of meat-eating frogs. Despite her efforts, the frogs were gaining on her as they knew the terrain much better than her. For some reason, they were able to see through her cloak.

Lex turned around and sliced a frog in half as it tried to bite her back. She then kicked another one away, the frog splattered as it hit a tree trunk. Finally, Lex was cornered among several trees. Lex looked up at the tree and found it to be climbable. Taking her wrist blades, she sliced into the tree trunk and attempted to climb up to escape the frogs.

The frogs huddled around the tree trunk and croaked at her. "Can't get me up here, can you?" she mocked to herself.

The frogs then opened their mouths and shot out their tongues. Their tongues went through the air and grabbed onto her ankle. Lex struggled with her foot as the frogs collectively tried to pull her down. Lex used her mind to activate her plasma cannon. Arming it, she centered the target on the frogs and fired. A blue blast of plasma hit the frogs causing them to explode in blue blood and guts. She continued to fire at the ground until the last of them were destroyed or had escaped into the forest.

Lex felt rather pleased with herself until she realized her plasma blasts had created a rather large fire beneath her. The smoke was rising rapidly up the tree trunk. Lex looked upward and began to climb to escape the fire and smoke. In the distance, other warriors saw a smoke form. Three of them decloaked and turned to look at the new forest fire in curiosity.

Lex used her new muscles to climb up the tree as fast as she could. Her mask was assisting her in filtering out the smoke but it wouldn't be long before she was consumed in the fire. Climbing up on a branch, she then jumped to another branch on another tree. Her landing was less than graceful, she barely hung on to the new branch. Finding her projectile cable gun, she pointed and fired at a tree in the distance. A strong cable sprung out and sliced into the tree trunk. Lex tugged at it to make sure it was firm and then connected the other end of the cable to the tree she was currently on. Sufficiently connected, she flew through the air on the cable until she reached the next tree.

* * *

For the next few hours, Lex went from one tree to the next. Her endurance had been greatly improved with her new body. With the planet's sun going down, Lex decided to set up camp. Taking out a small device from her gear, she activated it on the ground. The device opened up revealing a small tent, the cloth became rigid due to a flow of static electricity through it. Rooting the tent into the ground, Lex went inside and went to sleep.

It was no long before, Lex woke up to discover something very wrong. Centipede-like creatures and other types of insects were crawling on the roof of her tent. Lex wondered at first whether they would be able to get inside. Within a few moments, the insects began chewing into the cloth and puncturing holes into the tent. Panicked, Lex fired at the insects with her plasma cannon. The blast tore open the tent and splattered several large insects. Other insects immediately fell through the hole in her tent and began attacking her.

Lex tore at the insects as they got on her. Finally, she ripped her tent to shreds to get out of it and then found herself surrounded by various insects. Some were able to fly while others crawled. Most of them were two to three times larger than any insects she had seen on Earth. Lex extended a shuriken blade and began slicing at all the insects around her. Despite her efforts, she quickly became overwhelmed and buried in a pile of hostile insects.

* * *

Several hours later, Lex emerged from the fires and smoke of the forest fire she had created. Her skin had been stained in the blue blood of frogs, insects, birds, and other types of creatures. She suffered several scrapes, bruises, and cuts. But despite all of this, she was more mad than injured. She wanted to kill this creature and go back home.

With one thought on her mind, she came to a cave that held the creature she was to kill. Normally, a hunter would use bait or some other technique to encourage the creature to come out. Lex targeted the entrance of the cave and fired. Plasma blasts went into the cave causing blue light to shine outward as it impacted. Lex continued to fire constant bursts into the cave hoping that a few of them would actually hit the creature.

The creature roared in irritation as the plasma blasts went into his cave. Storming out of the cave, Lex realized what she was up against. The creature was twice the size of an Earth elephant. It walked on four large trunk-like legs; it had a long tail with barbs at the end of it, its back was full of sharp spines, and its head had a hard bony forehead. Its mouth was full of sharp teeth; it held at least three tongues, its face had three eyes on each side, and it held sharp tusks on its bottom jaw.

Lex backed up a few feet as the creature roared at her. "No problem, I will just blast it," Lex thought. She aimed and fired at it.

The blast hit the creature's skin but it only made a small wound. The creature roared more in an annoyance than pain. Lex attempted to fire again but it was the same result. The creature used its tail to swat her sending her to the ground with a thud. Lex got back up and extended her wrist blades. The creature attempted to stomp her with its front legs. Lex got out of the way before she could be crushed and sliced at one of its front legs. The blades caused the creature to bleed, but it made no significant damage.

Lex flipped up to her feet and ran away from the creature as it chased after her. Lex climbed up a tree thinking that this would stop the creature's pursuit. The creature hugged the tree and attempted to grab her with its long tongues. Lex fired on the creature and accidentally blasted its eye out. The creature roared in pain and continued to try to get at her.

Realizing the creature's weakness, she shot at the creature's eyes. The blasts hit the creature's other eye, blinding it. The creature, however, was quite strong and pushed the tree over. Lex fell off the tree and landed hard on the ground. The creature then blindly tried to get at her by using its sense of smell. Lex extended her spear and threw it at the creature. The spear sank into the creature's side but it didn't stop it. Lex then took a shuriken blade and threw it at the creature. The blade whirled through the air and sliced into the creature's face causing it to bleed. The blade then came back to Lex, but before she could grab it she was flung through the air by the creature's tail.

Lex gasped as she tried to fill her lungs, the blow had knocked the wind out of her. The creature charged her and then extended its tongue. Its tongue wrapped around her ankle and pulled her toward its mouth. Lex struggled against the tongue and tried to used her blades to dig into the ground. But the creature was too strong and it continued to pull her in. Lex sliced at the tongues but they were too thick.

The creature opened its mouth wide to eat her whole. Lex stopped struggling and targeted the creature's mouth. Just as she was about to be eaten, she fired into the creature's mouth. The blast went through the creature's mouth and caused its head to explode. The creature fell to the ground dead and Lex was completely covered in blue goo.

Four Yautja suddenly decloaked around her including the ranking warrior, an equivalent to a squad leader in a human army. Lex waved her arms in a pathetic attempt to flick the blood and gore off her body. It became apparent to her that they had been watching the fight the entire time and did nothing. Lex faced the four warriors; her irritated expression hidden underneath her mask. "Pick up your equipment," the squad leader ordered.

Lex gave the squad leader a mock salute and then began picking up the weapons scattered all over the ground. The Yautja warriors eyed her as she assembled her equipment and then worked to attach them to her belt and armor. When she was done she addressed the squad leader who gave her a look over. "Continue with your hunt," he ordered.

"I killed it," Lex protested pointing to the mess that once was the beast.

The squad leader clicked furiously with the other warriors; she couldn't tell if they were laughing or angry at her. "The skull must be intact," the squad leader said.

Lex simply stared at the squad leader and then looked back; the beast's skull had been blown to pieces. "What's the difference?" Lex complained.

"The skull must be collected as a sign of your success. It will be a great honor for you to have in your possession," the squad leader answered.

"I don't care about skulls," Lex said disgusted by the very concept.

The squad leader advanced upon her to indicate his seriousness. "You treat the hunt as a burden instead of an opportunity. You don't see the hunt as a way of life," the squad leader growled at her.

Lex's shoulders fell as she got lectured; the squad leader was right. She was a hunter only because she wanted to avoid being a "breeder." Lex looked around into the forest and then turned to the squad leader. "I'll get the skull," she told him.

The squad leader stared at her and then disappeared as his cloak became activated. The other three warriors became cloaked as well and followed the squad leader into the forest.

Once the warriors were gone, she did a systems check. Her weapons were wet with blue blood and gore but still functional. She activated the hologram giving her a map of the area. She could then see the terrain features, rivers, and lakes. Orientating her map, she found the closest river and then moved towards it. As she cut through the forest vines and vegetation, she activated her targeting system. With a high energy supply for her laser cannon, she decided to use it liberally. Her mask was able to detect motion for her creating a red triangle on the object; she would then fire on the object. So, as she walked through the forest, she began blasting creatures in all directions.

Once she got to the river, she stepped in waist-high; the blue gore began to wash off as the fast-moving water hit her. The water was easy to get used to due to the hot humid environment she was in and due to her tough skin. She immersed herself entirely in the water and washed herself of all the blue gunk on her body. When she was clean enough, she saw some large serpents approaching her from both sides. Noticing them, she scanned both directions and then blasted the river with her plasma cannon killing everything in the river. After several shots, she realized the water around her was becoming too hot. She immediately made her way to the shore as the river turned to hot steam.

* * *

With her success at being able to kill things, Lex headed deeper into the forest with renewed confidence. She realized she couldn't fight like a normal Yautja, she just didn't have the training or the experience. She would have to rely on her human intellect which was now computing at a much faster rate. Climbing up a tall tree, she looked over the forest before her. With her mind, she targeted the trees and fired everywhere. Her plasma cannon fired once a second into the trees creating small explosions wherever she hit. Within a few minutes, the forest was ablaze.

Lex dropped down and threw diamond shape devices that stuck to the trees. Upon sticking to the tree, the diamonds glowed red and then created a laser field between the diamonds. Resuming her cloak, Lex waited as animals ran to escape the forest fire. They crossed into the river where they would get stuck briefly while trying to wade through it. Lex fired on them turning the river a dark blue and creating steam. Animals were boiled alive as they crossed into the river. Eventually, the monster she wanted to kill splashed into the river to escape the fire. Knowing she couldn't kill the beast with her plasma cannon, she fired to the right and left of the beast so that it charged a certain direction. As she had hoped, the beast went through the laser field and was sliced to pieces as it crossed through.

Lex cautiously walked up to the beast; its legs had been slashed to pieces as well as deep wounds all over its body. Its head remained untouched but there was a slash to its neck. When it was clear the creature was dead, Lex redirected her diamonds so that they created a perimeter around her. She didn't want to be disturbed while she got her skull. Hesitating briefly, she took her knife and cut into the creature's flesh carefully pulling the flesh away from the skull. It may have been more queasy for her if the blood were red but the bluish coloring looked like food coloring. With a good pull, she disconnected the skull to the spine and then grasped it in her hands. It was heavy, even for her new body.

Even with the skull, there was still work to do. She had to pluck out the three eyeballs, cut the tongue out, and cut off the remaining flesh. When she was confident she had done a decent job, she clicked a button on her wrist indicating her location. Within the hour, a Yautja warrior decloaked and appeared before; the appearance of it still unnerved Lex. It was not too long ago that a cloaked Yautja had kicked her hard to the gut and killed a fellow human right before her. Lex raised the skull so he could see it; the Yautja grasped the skull and looked it over.

"Not finished," he said to her.

"What else?" she asked becoming frustrated.

The Yautja warrior took a seat up against a tree and took out some tools. He then turned the skull upside down and pointed to the place where the skull had been connected; there was now a hole. "The brain?" she asked.

The Yautja simply stared at her and then took out a device that looked like a small handgun. He pointed the device inside the skull and released a liquid substance inside it. Lex watched in fascination as the injected substance liquefied the brain. Within a short time, the contents of the skull poured like liquid out the holes. The Yautja then pointed a tube at the skull which released a very cold gas. The gas was highly pressurized and it worked efficiently in getting the remaining flesh off the skull. When he was finished, he handed the skull back to her; it felt slightly lighter.

"Ship has the equipment to better clean," the Yautja said to her. "But this is good," he complimented.

"What happens next?" she asked.

"We wait," he said vaguely.

Lex folded her arms over her chest in a very human-like expression as they waited. The Yautja would occasionally stare at her with his mask, but she could not tell what he was thinking. Even if he took the mask off, she would probably not know. "When did you become a hunter?" Lex asked.

"Three of your Earth years," he said.

"You still think of me as human?"

The Yautja sighed as if uncertain of how to answer. "That is a start," he said pointing to her animal skull. "But many creatures can kill a simple beast. The way you hunt is not like that of a Yautja but that of a human," he said.

"Yet, you helped me," Lex noted.

There was a long pause. "I knew the three that went to Earth, they were of the same class as me. I heard what you did for Scar," he said. "If only I could have been with them."

"You would have died," Lex said as she recalled that icy hell and proceeding crash.

"We do not fear death but invite it if it's honorable. Scar died an honorable death," he said. "The Xenomorph Queen is worthy prey."

"Is there another reason you helped me?" Lex asked suggestively. She wasn't sure why she was thinking odd thoughts or why she was antagonizing the young male. The Yautja stared at her before answering.

"We are taught to be helpful and respectful of the female," he said finally.

Lex found herself a little disappointed by the male's answer. Suddenly, the trees began to sway and leaves began showering down on them. The Yautja ship instantly appeared above them. Ropes fell down to their level. The Yautja male hooked the rope to his gear and then assisted Lex. The two were then pulled up into the ship.

* * *

The Yautja squad leader looked over the beast's skull and then turned to the other male warriors beside him; Lex was in the room but not a part of the conversation. "How was this kill accomplished?" the squad leader asked.

"The female created a forest fire that provoked all living animals to cross a wide river. The female then proceeded to fire upon the animals as they crossed the river; the target was directed by her fire into an energy field that crippled the beast," one of the males reported.

The other two males brought their fists to their chest armor confirming the story. The squad leader then turned to Lex. "You managed to kill two beasts and bring back the skull of one of them. That was all you were required to do. But be mindful of proper technique. In an otherwise normal environment, it would be unlawful to create a forest fire of this size. It creates attention to our presence. Also, you are to hunt the prey, not bring the prey to you." the squad leader lectured.

"The female did form a trap for the prey, did she not?" the male that had assisted Lex spoke out.

"That she did. It made a rather routine hunt...interesting," the squad leader allowed and then turned his back on the others as he walked off.

* * *

Lex took off her equipment and thoroughly cleaned it with a substance more powerful than human-made chemicals. Once her equipment passed inspection, she took a shower once the males were done. The latrine on board the ship was not gender-specific due to a lack of females usually on hunting ships. The comforting water washed away all the dirt, blood, and plant life off her. The soap used by the Yautja was a liquid soap that acted like an acid eating away any non-organic substances on the body. Lex heard a hissing sound as the soap dissolved away the grime. Within a few minutes, the soap made Lex's body perfectly clean and smooth.

With her body no longer covered in dirt and blood, Lex was able to take a good look at herself again. She felt her soft skin that looked reptilian but was as smooth as a dolphin. Her body was entirely hairless except for her scalp which gave her a long mane. Her hair had yet to be braided and was a complete mess; just like when she was human she felt the split ends and tangles. She immediately went to work on her hair so that it would resemble her human appearance. When she was finally done, she stepped out of the shower and looked herself over in a mirror. She closed her mandibles tightly so she could look slightly human-looking but even so her face was still very alien. Her forehead was large, her face although feminine compared to the males was very animal looking. She looked at her fingers that now resembled claws instead of nails.

She opened a compartment and took out some clothes. They were designed for males but after a few adjustments, she was able to cover herself. She used a cape designed for an Elder and used it as a skirt and then clasped her metallic bra around herself. When she was finished, she went outside the latrine and met with the others for a meal. The squad leader and the three other males stared at her for a few moments and then proceeded to eat their meal. The squad leader stood up and assisted her with dinner; it was a small alien leg, a vegetarian paste, and a fruit fluid. Lex considered the meal with some suspicion but then looked over at the other males at the table. The table, like everything else on the ship, looked dark and organic.

"Sit here," the squad leader ordered her.

Lex sat down next to the other males who were trying their best to ignore her. The squad leader eyed the males to keep them in line and then sat across from her. Although the squad leader never showed any empathy towards her, she could tell that she was being included with the group. She took up the alien leg and ate a chunk; it tasted fairly similar to raw fish. As a traveler of the world, Lex was able to eat the meal down without too much difficulty.

"You will face the Tribune in a few day's time," the squad leader said to her.

"Should I be afraid?" Lex asked.

"I shall vouch for you," he assured her. 

* * *

The Yautja ship approached the desert world from where they had come, the colony planet that hosted the Tribune. Lex watched out the windows in awe as she saw the planet become bigger. Even though she had been in space a number of times, the concept of being a space traveler was still foreign to her. The ship entered the atmosphere and docked next to the capital city of the planet. Yautja warriors exited the ship with canisters and were led by the squad leader into the Tribune Hall. Lex followed behind the group.

The warriors walked through the halls of the Tribune building. There were statues of warriors on both sides of the hall. The warriors then entered a large dome structure that hosted the tribune. They were all present at this meeting was expected. The warriors placed the canisters in front of the Tribune and then walked behind their squad leader. The squad leader opened the canisters and then took out the skulls of killed beasts. He raised the skull above his head so all members of the Tribune could see and then placed the skull on an altar or table in front of him. He did this with all the skulls in the canisters until all the skulls were brought out.

For Lex, the scene was surreal. She had seen hunters with large trophy rooms dedicated to their game, usually antlers but occasionally stuffed heads. This, however, was more like a religious ritual. Everything was seemingly rehearsed well in advance. She didn't know the religious beliefs of this alien race; it had never come up in conversation. "Bring forth the female," the Tribune leader ordered.

The squad leader placed the skull of the beast she had killed in her hands. "Kneel," he told her.

Lex knelt down slowly with the skull in her arms before the Tribune. She then stood up once the squad leader had placed his hand on her shoulder motioning for her to come back up. As she got back to her feet, she nearly lost her hold on the skull earning an annoyed look from the squad leader. "Did she complete the trial?" the Tribune leader asked.

"She did take the skull from a worthy prey without assistance," the squad leader answered.

"Show us," the Tribune leader ordered.

Lex's mask was placed inside a machine; a hologram video appeared from the floor and filled the room so all could see. The Tribune watched quietly as video scenes showed Lex's recorded memories of the hunt including her fight with the killer frogs. The Tribune also saw how Lex began firing on all living things with extreme prejudice as well as creating a large forest fire. Finally, they saw her kill the beast and take its skull.

The hologram shut down revealing a disgruntled Tribune leader. "What do you call yourself?" the Tribune leader asked her.

"They call me Lex," Lex answered.

"Lex, you have completed the requirement we have asked of you. You are hereby promoted to Category 2 citizenship and can now be called a warrior among our people," the Tribune leader said.

There was some murmuring and muttering as the Tribune leader made his decision. "The humans of the planet Earth are in possession of one of our weapons, a plasma cannon. Humans cannot be allowed to replicate this technology. Thousands of years ago, we created human civilizations. We taught them how to build, how to create a written language, and how to hunt. But after the last civilization died out as a result of our interference, we forbid ourselves from directly interfering with the development of humans. They may use the weapon they have collected to wage war against themselves or threaten other worlds in their sector. If the weapon is not retrieved, the High Council on the home-planet may decide to exterminate the humans."

When the Tribune leader had finished his speech, the hall was filled with chatter composing of clicks, grunts, and growls. Lex couldn't catch everything they were saying, but she could detect that many of them were unhappy with the idea of humans no longer being on the list of hunted creatures. If humans were exterminated they reasoned, they would lose out on a popular game. Although Lex appreciated their support for humanity, their motivations disturbed her.

"Take your squad to Earth to retrieve the weapon according to our laws. We do not want humans to know more than they already do. Lex, you will provide your unique perspective on this hunt. Although you may not yet understand our values and traditions, our success will ensure the survival of humans. Do you understand these orders?" the Tribune leader asked.

"I do," Lex answered resolutely.

The rest of the ceremony included promotions and awards of honor to the other warriors for their success. Lex had collected one skull but the other warriors had collected several skulls each of various beasts. When the ceremony was over, the squad leader and the other warriors went back into the ship and blasted off towards Earth. The ship lurched forward, as it went faster than light.


	5. The Veteran

Within a few hours, the planet Earth appeared in the window. Lex now saw the blue planet with her new alien eyes. It was a different experience for her now. She felt a rush of familiarity come to her as she saw the North American continent come into view. Part of her thought of her new existence as an elaborate dream but now everything became real to her again. The squad leader eyed her, as the ship established a stationary orbit with the North American continent.

"Time for class," the squad leader told the others.

The Yautja warriors took their seats in a large trophy room; a hologram appeared from the floor showing the planet Earth. "In the Earth year of 1997, one of our warriors hunted in the urban city environment on this northern continent," the squad leader began.

The hologram zoomed in on the city of Los Angeles on the California coast. Lex instantly knew what the squad leader was talking about; she had been to Los Angeles before.

"The warrior was killed, he was a Category 4. He was maimed and killed by his own weapon by a human," the squad leader said disgustedly.

The other warriors seemed to agree with the squad leader's sentiments except for Lex who worked to keep her expression neutral. "In 1987, another warrior, a Category 5 was killed on this strip of land," the squad leader said. The map focused on Guatemala. The Yautja warriors were silent; a category 5 was the same rank as their own squad leader. "We do not know how he was killed. He took off his mask before detonating himself," the squad leader added.

"He was engaged against worthy prey, human soldiers from this land," the squad leader said highlighting the borders of the United States.

The hologram then showed their weapons: mp5, machine guns, assault rifles, grenade launcher, and a long knife. "These weapons are primitive but not to be underestimated," the squad leader lectured.

"Tell us how these weapons work," the squad leader requested of Lex.

Lex felt uncomfortable assisting the Yautja against her own kind but decided to comply. "The weapons fire bullets, small but quick pieces of metal that can penetrate your armor. They also have small devices that are the size of your fist that upon detonation can blast your body full of holes," Lex said.

The squad leader stared at her to continue. "The weapon has a magazine filled with these bullets. When these bullets are used up, the weapon becomes useless. The weapon hits the bullet hard enough to create an explosion inside the bullet. The explosion is powerful enough to send a small piece of the bullet through the barrel towards the target," Lex added.

"A general description of the weapon," the squad leader allowed "Do not become overconfident with your cloaks. Humans have a tendency to fire upon an area regardless of whether they can see the target. Their weapons can penetrate our skin and cause serious injury to our bodies," the squad leader warned.

"What is our target?" one of the Yautja warriors asked.

"We have tracked the weapon to this location," the squad leader said. The hologram zoomed in on a military facility in Colorado. The weapon's signature was detected in one of the buildings in the center of the base.

"We can infiltrate the building, or we can completely destroy the building with the weapon inside. If we destroy the building, there would be an estimated 5,000 human casualties," the squad leader detailed.

"You can't do that," Lex piped up. The Yautja warriors stared at Lex as if she were crazy.

"I mean, how would killing them from orbit be sporting?" Lex clarified.

Some of the Yautja roared in approval at Lex's clarification. The squad leader growled at his subordinates shutting them up. "I agree. We will infiltrate the building and take the weapon without being detected. If that fails, we will have no choice but to destroy the building from orbit," the squad leader said.

"How can we infiltrate this structure?" the squad leader asked Lex.

Lex had no idea. It was one of the most heavily guarded and fortified buildings in the world. The weapon was probably in a safe locked away. "Even with your cloaks and weapons, I don't think you will be able to infiltrate the building unnoticed," Lex said.

"There was a reason why you were chosen for this hunt, Lex," the squad leader said to her. "You were once human. You can become human again temporarily with an injection. As a human, you will infiltrate this building and give us the weapon," the squad leader said.

Lex felt suddenly overwhelmed. She could become human again! The squad leader eyed her as she seemed a little too giddy. "It is only temporary, your transformation to a Yautja is permanent," the squad leader said dashing her hopes and dreams.

Lex didn't care. Just to be human for a moment would be worth almost anything. "Even as a human, I will have difficulty getting inside. I don't have a security clearance," Lex said.

"How can you get this security clearance?" the squad leader asked.

"I would have to be in the American military and it would take too long. It's not possible," Lex said stumped. "You might as well destroy it," she said defeated.

The squad leader considered the situation and then showed a hologram photo of one of the human soldiers from 1987. Lex stared at the man's face. The squad leader pointed to the hologram.

* * *

A Yautja pod detached from the ship and accelerated towards the Earth. The sensation was tense for Lex as her body was hit with sudden G forces. Suddenly, the pod slammed into the ground. Lex was safe inside the structure due to an elaborate shock-absorbing system. Lex exited the pod as soon as the doors opened and felt slightly dizzy as she walked out. With her mind, she immediately contacted the ship in orbit.

"I have landed," she reported.

"Head toward the target," the squad leader ordered.

Lex activated a red hologram of her destination. It would be a small hike through the hills of Wyoming. The red hologram showed her a pathway to her destination, a 3D topography map. Lex marveled at the hologram. Such a device would have been useful during her hikes at her foundation. Lex shut down the hologram and activated her cloak.

The trip through the woods was nostalgic. She almost felt like she was human again. In a few hours that could very well be the case; the squad leader had given her a vial that upon injection would make her human temporarily. But she couldn't use it now, no matter how much she wanted to. She had to save her supply for when it mattered.

A few hours later, she reached her destination: a cabin in the middle of nowhere. There was a well outside the cabin. The cabin itself was two stories tall and appeared well built. She looked around the house scanning the cabin with a different type of visual scanners. All the scans came back negative. Her target was not inside the house. She took a step forward and then heard the familiar sound of a gun cocked. She froze hoping her cloak would conceal her.

"Don't move," a strongly Austrian accent ordered her.

For Lex, the human's voice was refreshing compared to the rough and hard language of the Yautja. Now if only the human weren't pointing a gun at her backside. Lex put her hands up in a very human-like gesture.

"Take off your weapons," the human ordered.

Lex sighed as she began to take off every kind of weapon she had on. First, she took off the plasma cannon connected to her shoulder and mask, then she took off her bladed wrist bands, the thermal detonator attached to her upper wrist, her long knife, her shuriken blade, and her diamond devices. If she had been a normal Yautja she would have felt humiliated by this situation. No doubt the squad leader would chew her out for this. She was supposed to recover weapons, not give more of them out.

When she was done, she stayed still and kept her hands up in surrender. "The mask and your other equipment; take them off now," the human ordered.

Lex did as the human ordered taking off her mask, her hologram computer, and her cloaking device. She also took off the compartments attached to her knees that contained medical supplies. Once she took off her mask, her vision deteriorated in Earth's atmosphere. She was also having a little difficulty breathing. It was like breathing on a tall mountain. Lex was familiar with the sensation and didn't panic.

"Now, get on your knees and put your hands behind your head," the human continued.

Lex complied with the human's demands. This was starting to become humiliating even for human standards. She was going to be executed by this man, and she couldn't really blame him. His entire crew had been slaughtered by the Yautja; his life turned upside down. She realized with bitterness that she was going to die by humans, the same race she was trying to save. The human took a few steps closer to her and seemed to mutter something Lex didn't catch.

"Look, I know you're mad. But I am here to help," Lex said in guttural English.

"More likely you've come to finish the job you started seventeen years ago," the human said bitterly.

"Let me prove it to you," Lex said struggling to pronounce each word.

"How? And why would I need your help?"

"Humanity is endangered of extinction. If you don't allow me to help you, everyone will die," Lex said.

The human then walked in front of her. All she could see of him was that of an outline with some features. She could see clearly that the human had some sort of weapon pointed at her. "Stand up," he ordered.

Lex complied getting to her feet. "Now, take five steps forward."

Lex walked five normal steps forward and realized what the human was doing. She was too far to go get her gear now. She would be shot before she could even get one step backward. "You said you could prove something to me," the human said.

"It's in my medical pack," Lex said.

The human walked around her gear while keeping his weapon on her. He found the medical pack by process of elimination; it didn't look like a weapon. He dropped it in front of her. "Is this it?" he asked her.

Lex looked at the object and then felt its texture; it was the right one. She then opened the device revealing vials and an injection gun. The human watched as Lex felt around the tools and with her sense of touch hooked up the equipment. This was it; if the vial worked she would become human again. She took the injection gun to her neck and then pulled the trigger. There was a slight pain as the injection went into her body. Once she was done, she placed the medical tools back into her pack and closed it up.

"Now what?" the human asked suspiciously.

"It shouldn't take too long," Lex assured him.

Suddenly, a wave of pain hit her. She fought the instinct to roar in pain as it could frighten the human. Her body tensed up as Lex felt more pain than she had ever felt before. The human watched in amazement as Lex became shorter and her muscles decreased in size. Eventually, it got to a point where Lex's armor hung loosely around her body; some simply fell off. Lex closed her eyes and clenched her fists as she tried to shut out the pain of transforming back to her old self. Her skin became darker. Her claws were becoming more like nails again, and her face was changing.

When the pain had stopped, Lex was naked before the human. Embarrassed, she tried to cover herself with her arms. "Do you have some clothes?" she asked pathetically.

"Yeah, in the back," the human said distracted by her form and then led her inside the cabin.

The human led her into one of the bedrooms and picked out a few clothes while still holding an assault rifle in his right hand. Lex ignored him and stared at herself in the mirror in the bathroom adjacent to the guest room. Her eyesight was now more human than Yautja. She could see the changes on her body but also realized she wasn't complete. Her eyes were still yellow, her forehead was too big, she was still slightly taller than six feet, and her spotted pattern still existed on her dark skin. Her jaw was smaller than before but still not human in appearance. She looked like a freak.

Lex wasn't too concerned with this for the moment. She knew the vial would take time to fully work through her system. As long as she stayed away from other humans she would be fine. "Put these on," the human ordered.

The man's clothes were able to fit as she was the same height and build as him at this point. She put on a t-shirt and some short shorts. For her feet she wore boots. Her feet were still too big for normal shoes and still had claws for toes. "In a few hours, I will look completely human," she informed him.

"Good, because you look ugly as you are," he said.

Lex ignored the insult and followed the man to the dining room. "Take a seat," the man said. It was more like an order than a request.

Lex sat down across from the man; he put his rifle aside much to Lex's relief. However, he then took out a pistol and kept it aimed at her heart. Lex hated guns before her change and this was no exception. She had thought that those who used them simply wanted them to bully other people around. She had thought Rousseau had been paranoid to bring a gun to an ice hike. But this was different; this man was a highly trained soldier. The gun was a way of life for him.

"What's your story?" he asked of her.

Lex told the man about what had happened to her in Antarctica to the best of her memory, then how she became a Yautja, and why she was back. "So, they have a name," the man said disgustedly.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Alexa Woods."

"Well, Miss Woods, I am Allan Schaeffer, but friends call me Dutch. I was born in Austria, came to the US as a soldier in Vietnam. While in Vietnam, I became a Green Beret and served a few tours there. Then, I joined Special Forces ODA, transferred to Delta Five/CIA task force, became a Deputy Director. My team was the best of the best in the world. We were able to do what no one else could. And then after a successful mission, my entire team was slaughtered by one of those monsters," Dutch said bitterly.

"I'm sorry for your loss," Lex said lamely.

He smirked at her as if wondering whether she was sincere. "After that, I was hospitalized for radiation poisoning and then developed leukemia. They were able to put it back into remission but the cancer flares up every so often. So, they kicked me out of the military and gave me disability for the rest of my life," Dutch said shaking his head in dismay.

Lex's eyesight suddenly morphed, and she could then see Dutch clearly. He was completely bald, his face looked aged but not wrinkled, but his body was still fairly impressive for someone in their fifties. But the cancers had taken their toll. She could see it in his eyes. Dutch took out a cigar and lit it in front of her while still keeping his pistol on her.

"You shouldn't smoke with your history," Lex lectured.

He chuckled at that. "The cancer has come back; I won't be able to win this time," he said.

Lex simply stared at him. "They might have something that can help you," she said referring to Yautja technology.

"Thanks but no thanks," Dutch refused.

"I need you alive for this mission," she said to him.

"What mission?" Dutch asked curiously.

"One of the plasma cannons used by the Yautja was confiscated by the military. They want it back," Lex began.

"Good, now we might have a fighting chance against those bastards."

"No, if they don't get that weapon back they will destroy those who have it, and they may even kill every human on this planet. I have seen their weapons first hand. They can't be defeated," she stressed.

"I killed one without fancy technology. I know their weakness. They can't see a person if they're covered in a thick substance like mud," Dutch said confidently.

"Good for you but there are thousands of them. I saw a city full of them, and I have been on their ships. They have colonies all over the galaxy, and they have updated their technology since you last fought them."

"So, what can I do to help? Why me?" he asked.

"You are the only person in the military who knows about the Yautja. I need you to help infiltrate an army base and retake that weapon," Lex said seriously.

Dutch barked a laugh while still smoking his cigar. "And how do you think I could manage that? I no longer have a security clearance and Army security is a lot tougher than two decades ago."

"Don't you have connections? Don't you know people?" Lex asked hopefully.

"Yeah, I still know people who have retired. But I am not sure I want to help you. These aliens may just be bluffing. I took an oath to fight against all enemies foreign and domestic. And now you want me to infiltrate army security for you," Dutch said, as he shook his head.

"I'll make it worthwhile for you. We'll cure your cancer and give you all the money you could want. The Yautja have large supplies of gold, silver, and gems," Lex pitched.

Dutch considered the proposition. "A mercenary," he muttered.

"Whatever, I just need that weapon back or the whole Earth is going to die."

Dutch thought about some of his comrades throughout the years. Many of them had not been compensated by the government very well for their services. Some were even considered an embarrassment to the United States and continued to remain anonymous without identities. Some who had been killed in action had left behind families who were not taken care of sufficiently by the government. "I'll do it for one million dollars and the same goes for the rest of my team," he said.

Lex simply stared at Dutch. "And I want that million before I make any calls," he added.

"They won't accept that," Lex objected.

"Then no deal," he said.

Lex frowned at Dutch with her half-human jaw. Her four teeth were still visible above the skin. Lex then remembered the million that had been wired to her Foundation's account.

"I'm going to need some time," Lex told him.

Fully human, Lex typed quickly on Dutch's laptop. Her fingers were now small enough to type and use the mouse properly. She accessed her foundation's account and was pleased it hadn't been frozen. She entered the necessary passwords and then transferred the million dollars to an offshore account on Dutch's direction.

"Good work. I didn't think you could actually pull it off," Dutch smirked.

"You going to make those calls now?" Lex asked hopefully.

Dutch took out a satellite phone. There was a pause on the other end. "I need a favor."


	6. Expendables

A few days later, a number of hardened ex-military and mercenaries arrived at the house. They each seemed to be on friendly terms with Dutch and had an interest in Lex's appearance. The first night they arrived, they drank beer and related old war stories. Dutch introduced each one of them to Lex using either fake names or code words.

"This is Barney," Dutch introduced first. He appeared to be in his late fifties but was fairly muscular like he was full of steroids. He had black curly hair, a goatee, and an Italian olive complexion.

Lex politely shook his hand, which was twice the size of hers. "Gunnar," Dutch introduced next. This man had blond spiky hair and was even bigger than Barney. He towered above Lex. Even in her Yautja form, Gunnar would have been roughly the same size. When he spoke it was in a Swedish accent.

"Nice to make your acquaintance miss. They call me Lee," the next man said to her. He was nearly bald, shorter, and smaller than the other men, but Lex could sense that this man was dangerous. His accent appeared to be English.

"This is Yin. He doesn't talk much," Dutch introduced. The former Chinese agent nodded to her. He was shortest among them all, but Lex had seen him outside practicing with a sword. He was known for his speed.

"And this is Toll, Caesar, and Tool," Dutch listed off. Toll was a muscular former Green Beret; Caesar was an African American former Staff Sergeant, and Tool looked like he just came from the jungle. He grinned showing off all his gold teeth.

"What about him?" Lex asked concerning a man off to himself.

"That's Royce. He's not very sociable," Dutch told her.

"So, what is this all about?" an older man asked her. He was bald, dressed in a suit, and had a cynical look about him.

"This is Church," Dutch introduced. Church rolled his eyes at Dutch as if his name was contrary to his nature.

"I'll explain everything," she said, and then placed a hologram projector on the table before them. Instantly, an image of the Western United States appeared in red light. The group stared at the image with interest. The map zoomed towards a secure military base in northern Colorado in the mountains.

"Our objective is acquiring this," Lex explained showing an image of the plasma cannon.

"What is it?" Lee asked.

"It doesn't matter what it is. All that matters is that we take it, and leave," Dutch said to the group.

"You're asking for us to break into a military facility?" Royce asked skeptically.

"You will each receive a million dollars in the form of gold bars once the object is in my hands. Untraceable, and can be converted into any currency," Lex enticed.

"How do we know you can deliver?" Gunner asked.

Lex unlocked a chest behind her and revealed a dozen gold bars. "I have more where this comes from."

"If you are in, stay here. If you want out, go," Dutch told the group.

There was silence for a moment, but no one got out of their seat. "Good," Lex said pleased.

"Everyone has a job to do. Tool will stay behind as our medic. He couldn't pass for a soldier anyway," Church said to the group.

"Thanks," Tool replied sarcastically.

"Dutch and I will stay behind, so we can keep a watch on you guys from here," Church added.

"We're going to need uniforms," Royce pointed out.

"That's right. We will go to a supply depot and buy several uniforms. You will be Sergeants and Lieutenants; nothing too special," Church said.

"The next part of the plan is to place these devices around the base. These devices can monitor all movement in the base," Lex said displaying some diamond shape devices.

"I have never seen technology like this," Lee remarked.

"They can use infer-red and visual light, so we know what's going on at all times," Lex added.

"We're going to need military ID cards," Gunnar mentioned.

"I'll take care of that," Tool volunteered.

"When do we move?" Lee asked anxiously.

"The job begins tomorrow morning," Dutch said.

* * *

The next morning, a collection of cars drove south towards the Colorado border. A separate truck filled with weapons was in the back. Once they got a few miles from the base, Royce, Lee, Yin, Gunnar, Toll, Caesar, and Barney prepared their equipment. They were all dressed in ACU Army uniforms. Inside their uniforms were pistols and explosives.

In Wyoming, Lex, Dutch, Church, and Tool stayed behind. Radio equipment was set up to monitor the group. A red hologram of the base was before them. "Place the devices at the locations, and then get out," Dutch ordered.

"Roger sir," Barney replied back.

The team took a van and entered the security gate. "Your military ID cards please," the MP requested of them.

They each showed their fake ID cards. The MP nodded, and then passed them through. The team gave a sigh of relief and then parked. "Let's get this done quickly," Barney told the group.

The seven of them went in different directions trying not to act suspicious. Barney was the highest-ranked of them all as a 1st Lt. He had to shave his beard, and get a haircut for this mission. He identified the building where they were to plant the device. Looking around, he placed the diamond device close to a building. As soon as it stuck to the building, a cloak immediately made it disappear.

"We have a visual," Church said, as the device became active. They could now see a corner of the base. The other devices were similarly planted giving headquarters full view of the base. They could now see the entire base as if they had a satellite pointed at it.

"Good work. Now, get out of there," Dutch ordered.

* * *

Meanwhile, the Yautja found the survivors of the nuclear explosion in Colorado during the Xenomorphic outbreak. They tracked down Dallas and Ricky and then killed them both in the middle of the night at their apartment. Their bodies were stabbed through, so as to avoid detection from the neighborhood. They then tracked down Kelly and her daughter. The Sergeant was better prepared for the Yautja than the others. Upon hearing movement in her house, she took out a pistol. She saw the air slightly disturbed in the night. She fired at it splashing green on the floor. The Yautja's cloak deactivated from the impact. Kelly fired off a clip hitting the Yautja's arm, chest, gut, and shoulder. She went for another clip just as a second Yautja stabbed her through the back.

Kelly tensed up and then fell to the floor. "Not my daughter…," she muttered.

The two Yautja recloaked and considered the dying woman. They then left the room towards the hallway. They found the little girl confused by the gunfire. The Yautja scanned the girl and then walked past her.

* * *

The team entered the base a second time as the sun was going down. Passing through security, they radioed the position of the plasma cannon. Church gave directions to the team, as they walked through the base.

"So, how do you know each other?" Lex asked Dutch and Church.

"We go way back," Church mused.

"Church was in the CIA and a good friend of George Dillan. He told me so many stories about you," Dutch recalled.

"What happened to Dillan?" Lex asked.

"He was killed along with my entire team in 1987," Dutch answered.

"Oh," Lex expressed, and then kept her mouth shut.

"We at the right building?" Barney asked through the radio.

"Yes, standby," Church ordered.

Using the hologram, they looked at a see-through 3-dimensional image of the building. They could also see the people inside. "There are ten individuals inside the building," Church reported.

The team considered the lock on the door. Toll took out a kit and began brushing the numbers on the pad. The rest of them gave him cover, as he continued his work. Toll found out the numbers on the pad. After a few combinations of four numbers, he got the door open. He silently motioned for the others to enter the building.

Using the hologram projector, headquarters was able to see the team enter the building on the first floor. "If only the agency had this kind of technology," Church commented.

Lex bit her lip, as she realized she would have to recover all the technology, or there would be a repeat of this mission. The team entered the building, and then slowly went up to the stairs to the top floor. Upon entering the floor, the team immediately hit the personal with TASER weapons. The personal fell to the floor stunned.

One of the personnel attempted to escape, and give off the alarm. The team ran after him, held him, and then hit him with a TASER. They then found the safe holding the plasma cannon. "There is no way I can open this," Toll told the group.

"Use the explosives. It won't damage it," Lex told them.

The team gave themselves a confused look, and then placed explosives on the safe. The team then took out the remaining personnel on all of the floors with TASER weapons, and then dragged them outside. Tying them up, they then gagged them, so they wouldn't make a noise. Caesar then activated the detonator causing a small explosion on the third floor. Alarms were heard moments later.

The team went up inside the building and found the object. "What is it?" Barney wondered upon seeing it.

"Looks like a weapon," Lee said.

"Nothing I have ever seen," Caesar commented.

"We don't have time for this," Yin reminded them.

"They have the package," Church told the group.

The team quickly picked up the diamonds around the base, went back to the van, and placed the plasma cannon inside. Headquarters immediately lost the signal on the group. They then drew to the security gate but were stopped. "Sorry. No one leaves the base. We're on lockdown," the MP told them.

"That doesn't sit well with us," Lee told them. The team exited the van and overwhelmed the MP guards. Yin quickly incapacitated one of the guards, and Toll slammed another to the ground.

There were a number of vehicles that were moving in the base towards the exit. Unbeknownst to all, cloaked winged probes were following the van. Reaching a distance from the base, the team split up into different vehicles, and then took different routes. Headquarters could see the plasma cannon headed north towards Wyoming on the larger map.

"Let's get going," Church said.

Taking a truck, the headquarters team drove off towards Devil's Tower. The car with the plasma cannon would meet them there. A ship in cloak settled on top of the tower; three Yautja warriors looked down from three different directions.

The car holding the plasma cannon drove up into the park next to the headquarters van. Barney came out of the car and handed the plasma cannon to Lex. "You want to tell us what this is supposed to be?" Barney asked suspiciously.

"No questions," Dutch rebuked.

Barney shrugged at that. "Let's meet back at the headquarters," Church suggested.

"I'll be with you tomorrow, so you can collect the money," Lex assured them.

Dutch gave Lex a knowing look and then looked around in the darkness for a short while. "Let's go," he ordered.

* * *

Lex sighed, and waited for the ship to swing around Earth another time, and then landed in the forests of Colorado. It was the next morning, and all of the members of the team had escaped the MP. Lex led them over to some crates filled with gold bars.

"That's the stuff," Toll said grinning.

"Look at all that gold," Caesar said pleased.

"Once you're done sniffing up gold, I have a job for either of you," Church said to Barney and Dutch.

"What kind of job?" Barney asked curiously.

"I got some pirates off the coast of Somalia I need to have taken care of. They are taking hostages, and Uncle Sam doesn't like it," Church said.

"I'll pass," Dutch said immediately.

Church shrugged. "That was easy."

"I'll get the team together. We're going to need to get some weapons and gear," Barney agreed.

"With all that gold you could be the deadliest fighting team on Earth," Church complimented.

"Thanks, Church."

"Remember that you are all expendable assets," Church reminded Barney, and then walked off towards his truck. Dutch frowned at Church's remark but kept to himself. Lex walked up to Dutch and Barney.

"Job well done," she said with a hint of sadness.

"I have some things to discuss with her," Dutch said to Barney.

Barney held out his hands defensively and walked off giving them privacy. "Is the world safe?" he asked her.

"For now," Lex said.

"Good," Dutch nodded.

"We can cure your cancer, but…," Lex trailed off.

"I will be hunted again," Dutch finished her sentence.

Lex nodded. "I'll take what you got," he said to her.

Lex took out a blue vial and handed it to Dutch. The other team members were leaving and driving down the road. Dutch drank the substance, and immediately felt a burning sensation throughout his body, and it quickly eradicated his leukemia.

"That feels a lot better," Dutch commented, as he regained his strength.

Lex smiled at his healing. Dutch smirked at her, and then quickly shot her in the leg dropping her.

Lex cried out in pain and outrage. "So, your blood is still red," Dutch remarked.

"Are you crazy?" Lex shouted at him.

"The others will come for you. I am sure of that," Dutch smiled, and then took up an assault rifle. He looked in all directions peering into the tree line. He then aimed and fired blasting the air with bullets. The Yautja fell to the ground stunned; green blood was splattered on the ground.

The two other Yautja decloaked, and advanced on Dutch. Out of bullets, Dutch threw the weapon aside and took up a long knife. One of the Yautja extended his blades in response. "Come on motherfucker," Dutch said to the Yautja.

The Yautja charged at Dutch; the two clashed with blades. The other Yautja watched intently as the two warriors fought on the open field. Lex felt her body begin to morph in response to her injury. She cringed, as she felt pain throughout her body. She was reverting back.

Dutch outdueled the Yautja slicing him to the chest. The Yautja retaliated hitting Dutch's blade with enough force that it flew out of his hands. The third Yautja confronted Dutch without any of his weapons. Dutch punched the Yautja to the gut a few times before he was slammed to the ground.

The Yautja extended his arms challenging Dutch to get back up. Lex watched as Dutch punched the alien with all of his strength. Eventually, the Yautja subdued Dutch sending him to the ground stunned.

The Leader decloaked just as the Yautja was about to kill him. "Wait," the Leader ordered the Yautja warrior.

The second Yautja walked over to the first and assisted him to his feet. He had blood leaking all over himself from his wounds. Lex saw her hands change shape before her eyes. Her vision became distorted until they saw the way a Yautja sees. She got back to her feet with the wound in her leg repaired.

The Leader stared at Lex who was barely clothed with shredded human garments. He seemed embarrassed for her. Dutch looked around gaining his senses. He saw Lex's true form and shook his head. "The rest of the team will kill you all," Dutch spat.

The Leader advanced on Dutch punching the human to the face. Dutch fell to the ground with a thud. The Leader went behind Dutch and stuck a blade into his back. He then ripped the spine and skull out of his body in one quick motion. Lex looked away in disgust, as the Leader hung the blood skull and spine in the air. The Leader then incinerated the rest of the body with a liquid compound and destroyed any evidence they were there.

Onboard the ship, Lex rid herself of her human clothing and suited up in Yautja armor. The wounded Yautja warrior was treated for his injuries in the medical wing of the ship. He would roar every so often once a bullet was taken out of his body. He would live, but he wouldn't be happy.


	7. Expendables II

A few weeks later, the Yautja found Mr. Church on the golf course with some golfing buddies from the CIA. He had just given Barney a job to deal with a dictator on some island in the Gulf of Mexico called Vilena. Blue plasma blasts hit two of his associates splattering blood on Church's white shirt. Before he could comprehend what had happened, an invisible blade went through his chest. He was pulled off the ground and then dropped.

Lex watched from the ship, as a hologram projector showed the target killed. She was reminded yet again that Mr. Church had caused numerous coups and assassinations throughout his career. Lex still felt sick and considered her crew members murderers.

The ship then headed south to Vilena where it could monitor the activities on the island. Using heat signatures, there was an unusual amount of heat being generated on the top floor of the palace.

"They're candles," Lex said to them in an attempt to be helpful.

Four Yautja warriors including Lex descended down to the ground while cloaked. One took a position in the forest trees overseeing everything. Another one went into the tunnel system, and another went into the palace itself. Lex kept her distance and kept her eyes on any suspicious movement outside.

Inside the palace, Barney had been captured. He was in all black and was being strangled by a rope by a much larger man. There were a number of other soldiers and an American present. The Yautja immediately attacked slicing into the back of the large bald man's skull. Barney fell to the ground released. The Yautja took his blade out of the man's head and threw a spear that sliced through one of the soldiers.

Immediately the room was filled with gunfire, as the panicked soldiers attempted to kill the invisible assailant. A plasma burst caused one of the soldiers to explode. "What the fuck is this?" the American asked rhetorically.

The Yautja kicked the American aside and began firing on the soldiers. Lee, Toll, and Yin from Barney's team also intervened slashing and shooting some of the soldiers. The Yautja then concentrated on the American. With his blade, he slashed his throat open.

Lee and Toll took an injured Barney out of the tunnel system while Yin stayed behind. The Yautja considered Yin who was only armed with his fists. He decloaked revealing himself and then advanced on Yin.

The much smaller man did some kick and punch combos on the alien, but was quickly punched to the ground. Getting back up in the instant, Yin kicked the Yautja in the leg. When that didn't work, he tried to punch the Yautja in the gut. Despite his moves, none were having any effect on the Yautja. The Yautja then grabbed Yin by the throat and pinned him against the wall.

"Take this," Yin said defiantly. He unpinned a grenade causing an explosion that killed Yin and severely injured the Yautja. The Yautja fell to the ground stunned with green blood everywhere.

The other Yautja became aware that one of their teammates was down. Caesar went down into the tunnel to check up on Yin. Seeing the dead bodies, and a disabled Yautja on the ground, he armed his automatic shotgun. The Yautja struggled to get back on his feet and then decloaked.

"Ugly…," Caesar remarked, and then began firing wildly into the tunnel. The Yautja was hit several times blasting holes through him. Caesar wanted to take another look, but he had a mission to do.

The Yautja in the trees motioned for Lex to deal with the situation in the tunnel. She complied hoping it would be better than seeing what the Yautja was going to do outside. Working her way around the soldiers, Lex felt uneasy like she would be detected at any time. She went towards the entrance of the tunnel moving past Barney and his team without being detected. Inside the tunnel, she could see explosives lining the walls. Alarmed, she decided to move out of the tunnel system towards the palace.

Meanwhile, the dictator was making a speech to his troops. The Yautja in the trees was listening with interest. When the dictator was done, a blue plasma burst went through his back blasting a hole through his chest. The dictator fell off the balcony to the ground below. The Yautja then quickly slaughtered the soldiers inside the palace, but the American ex-CIA agent had escaped with the dictator's daughter.

Immediately the dictator's army began firing on the palace towards the entrance of the tunnel system where Barney's team was located. The Yautja in the trees targeted the human soldiers and began firing rapid shots at the army. The surprised troops were being hit from behind. Blue plasma bursts sliced off limbs, heads, and blasted through chests. Another burst caused explosions in the nearby vehicles.

Lex met up with the Yautja in the palace. "There are explosives everywhere," she told him.

The Yautja activated a hologram showing a 3D image of the palace. "Move here," he pointed on the model.

The palace suddenly exploded from the inside. The palace roared fire in every opening and then started to crumble. The Yautja in the trees stopped firing, as he assessed the situation. Lex with the other Yautja raced out of the palace, as it was crumbling apart. The fire roared through the tunnels burning the dead Yautja to nothing.

The Yautja in the trees stopped firing, as the troops were retreating. Barney's team advanced in the opening throwing grenades and shooting some of the troops that stayed behind. The Yautja targeted the towers overlooking the perimeter. Plasma bursts caused each one of them to explode.

Lex and the other Yautja went through the carnage. The Yautja seemed interested in the fight, but Lex was trying to find the captured woman. She found her with the ex-CIA agent moving towards a helicopter. Using her targeting computer in her mask, she targeted the helicopter. A plasma burst hit the helicopter causing it to explode.

Lex followed the ex-CIA agent and the woman to a nearby bridge. Barney was also racing towards her. The ex-CIA agent had a pistol to the woman's head. Barney lowered his weapon and was promptly shot. Lex fired sending a plasma beam that sliced through his shoulder, and neck. The stunned ex-CIA agent fell to the ground dead.

The woman ran over to Barney with Lee running onto the bridge. Lex watched as the team began to gather together. Leaping from the tree she was hiding, she dropped down next to Lee. "Run away," she said to him.

"Who said that?" Lee asked suspiciously.

"You done talking with your friend," Barney asked sarcastically.

"Someone said something," Lee looked around.

Barney gave him a dismissive look. A plasma shot suddenly went through the air towards Lee. Lex threw Lee off the bridge before he could be hit. The bridge was hit and caught fire. Lee fell to the ground stunned.

"What the fuck?" Barney wondered.

Lex aimed and fired near Lee's location blasting the ground. Lee ran quickly to get cover. "Get out of here!" he shouted to Barney.

The other Yautja paused, as Lex continued to fire on them. He wouldn't engage while I was hunting. Lex purposefully missed Lee and Barney, as they retreated away. When they were out of view, the Yautja decloaked next to her.

"Poor aim," he said disappointedly and then walked calmly across the bridge.

The team gathered in the ruins of the palace. "We have problems. There is something out there," Lee told the group.

"What are you talking about?" Caesar asked.

"I don't know. I felt an invisible hand throw me off a bridge and blue streaks of light," Lee detailed.

"I saw the same blue streaks. They came from the trees," Toll agreed.

"Let's get to the plane," Barney ordered.

"I can't leave. This is my country," the woman named Sandra objected.

"You're not safe here. Wait for things to cool down," Barney told her.

The team made their way through the city towards their plane. The Yautja followed them, as they moved through the streets. Once they got to the dock where their plane was located, blue streaks of light hit the plane. It exploded sending pieces everywhere.

"We're being followed," Barney concluded.

"What the fuck was that?" Caesar expressed alarm.

"Let's get cover," Barney told the group.

The Yautja followed the team with infra-red, as they attempted to hide. "So, what are we dealing with?" Lee asked.

"We can't see them, and they're using some kind of energy weapon. There may be more than one of them," Barney judged.

"But why?" Caesar asked.

"There is a legend we know of. The forest comes alive and takes victims. I heard my father talk about it years ago," Sandra said helpfully.

"So, how do we kill a forest?" Lee asked rhetorically.

"What is our ammo count?" Barney asked.

The four checked their ammunition. "We need to get out of the city, and get it to follow us," Barney said.

"Don't we have a tactical advantage in the city?" Lee objected.

"We're endangering the lives of everyone in the city. It's after us," Barney said.

Lee sighed but did not further object. "Get us another plane," Barney ordered Sandra.

The team made its way around the city avoiding the remaining troops that had survived the attack on the palace. The Yautja would occasionally pick off a troop here and there, as they followed the team.

The team and the Yautja entered the forest. Using their masks, the Yautja could see the humans as they moved clumsily through the forest. The leading Yautja motioned for Lex and the other Yautja to stop.

"We camp here," he said.

"Not sporting to kill them in the dark?" Lex asked bitterly.

"Yes," he replied.

The leading Yautja activated his hologram on his wrist pinpointing his location on the island. He could see the topography of the map; they were going up in elevation up the side of the mountain. He then deactivated the hologram, so he wouldn't be spotted.

"Sleep," he ordered the other two, and then went up to a high tree branch to sleep.

* * *

Early the next morning, the leading Yautja woke Lex up. "We hunt now," he told her.

Even with her new body, Lex felt the familiar sensation of being sleep deprived. She got to her feet and walked with the other two into the forest. "Only use equivalent level of force," the leading Yautja reminded them.

The other Yautja clicked as if chuckling at Lex. "Do your kind mourn? Your comrade died last night," Lex asked.

The leading Yautja turned to her, but she could not see his expression with the mask over his face. "In the next life, we become immortal. In the next life, we hunt the greatest game in the universe for all eternity. He is in a better place," the Yautja told her.

Lex realized the Yautja religion wasn't too different from that of humans. She wondered if all Yautja believed the same way. "Does your kind love?" she continued.

The two Yautja looked at each other, and then back at Lex as if suspicious of her. The leading Yautja showed a red hologram of a female Yautja and two smaller Yautja. Lex immediately identified the family unit. The other Yautja touched the leader's shoulder as if congratulating him.

"We mate for life," he said, and then pounded his chest.

Lex sensed the stinging rebuke against human culture but then realized that Yautja probably didn't live too long. The three cloaked and continued their pursuit of the humans.

The four-team members held their weapons in different directions, so they could have overlapping fire. "I wish Royce were here," Toll mused.

"He was never really reliable," Lee criticized.

"He's an independent kind of guy," Barney agreed.

"I never trusted him," Lee said.

"We could use an extra hand though," Caesar said, as he looked into the trees.

The three Yautja got closer to the humans, but suddenly the leader motioned for them to stop. Using different kinds of visions, he identified some tripwires. He motioned for the three to go up the trees. Lex used her clawed hands to climb up the tree and looked down towards the ground. With her vision, she could see four heat signatures.

"Kill the one with the strongest weapon," the leader told Lex.

She hesitated to comply and then targeted Caesar. With her mind, she moved the red triangle off to the side. The blue burst went through the air exploding a tree trunk next to Caesar's shoulder. The other two Yautja clicked irritably at her miss. Caesar regained his senses and began firing in random directions. Barney, Lee, and Toll all fired as well. Lex could see hot objects in the air fly towards her.

The two Yautja retreated from the gunfire, as the bullets blasted up the trees where they were. Caesar used his exploding shotgun shells into the forest creating a small forest fire. The fire separated the two parties. With the flames in their way, the Yautja couldn't see temperature differences.

The two Yautja fired continuous plasma bursts into the fire. The team retreated as trees burst apart, as the blasts hit them. Caesar was the last leave, as the team retreated. The leader fired on him blasting Caesar's weapon apart.

The two Yautja then turned to Lex. The leader grabbed Lex by the throat and pinned her against a tree. The leader was a good six inches taller than her and considerably stronger. The other Yautja simply stood by. "You will take a trophy," he ordered her.

He then let her go collapsing her to the ground. He motioned for the three to walk around the fire towards the team.

Meanwhile, the team stopped to rest a mile away from the firefight. Caesar was still tensed up from his hand wound. Toll was working on bandaging Caesar's right hand. "How bad is it?" Barney asked.

"I'll be fine," Caesar assured him.

"Take this," Barney said giving him a pistol.

"What do we know about the enemy?" Lee considered.

"They're kicking our ass," Caesar said irritably.

"Besides that," Lee said.

"They have invisibility. They have energy type weapons, and they managed to not trip our wires. We're dealing with an intelligent enemy," Barney observed.

"What are they? US Black Ops?" Toll wondered.

"No, there were only three of them judging by the shots," Barney said.

"They're hunting us," Lee suggested.

"I have an idea," Barney said looking at Caesar.

The Yautja paused once they heard "Help!" ring out through the forest. Using heat signatures, they were able to determine the location. The leader motioned for his colleague to investigate.

The Yautja walked slowly towards Caesar avoiding any potential traps. The Yautja looked around but saw no one except Caesar. "Help!" Caesar yelled while sitting next to a tree trunk.

The Yautja took a spear and aimed it at Caesar's chest. Caesar peered into the forest and saw a disturbance in the air. He raised his pistol at it, but it was too late. The Yautja threw his spear into his heart killing him instantly. Lee, Barney, and Toll immediately fired on the Yautja's location from three overlapping directions. The Yautja screeched, as he was hit several times.

The leader fired on the three remaining humans scattering them. The injured Yautja was on the ground leaking green blood. The leader dropped down to assist. "Keep watch," he ordered Lex.

The leader then took out a medical compartment and gave the Yautja a shot in his wounds. The Yautja roared in pain, as the injection stopped the bleeding. The Leader then confronted Lex, as she stared at Caesar's dead body.

"These humans kill other humans. Since yesterday they killed many humans. If they are killed, more humans will live," the Leader said to her.

"That's not justice to me," Lex objected.

"It is not justice. It is preserving the species," the Leader explained.

"The human race is not in danger of becoming extinct," Lex argued.

"If you will not hunt, you will be a given a different profession," the Leader reminded her.

"I understand," Lex told him.

"Stay behind with him. I will be back at nightfall," he said, and then disappeared into the forest.

Lex looked after the injured Yautja. Despite being shot several times, he seemed to be holding out. The Yautja body was healing quickly from the gunshot wounds. "Bring me the body," the Yautja ordered her.

Lex reluctantly complied taking the spear out of the trunk of the tree and bringing the dead body over to him. "Learn," he said to her.

Lex became horrified, as the Yautja took out some cutting tools. He sliced up to down across the face from the forehead to the chin. He then delicately peeled the skin and muscle off the bone on either side. Once he was done pulling the skin away from the face, he took out pincers. He placed the pincers around the eyes and plucked them out.

"Watch," the Yautja ordered her.

He then cut around the scalp, and to up the back of the head. He finally rid the skull of skin, but it was soaked in blood. Lex could only see what was happening in infrarad. Otherwise, she would have been sickened. Taking a hose, he placed it over the skull and poured gas over it. When he had finished, the skull was perfectly clean.

Lex could now see the skull in very dark coloring because it was now dead. "What is next?" Lex asked nervously.

The Yautja pointed to the skull and then pointed to the body.

Lex would have thrown up and shaken violently in revulsion if she had human eyes. But as it was, she was scanning what was occurring with infra-red. The Yautja relied mainly on feel and imagery software in his mask to make perfect cuts. After an hour of carefully working on the body, the skin was entirely removed from the corpse.

"Hang the body up high," he ordered her.

Lex was about to refuse, but the injured Yautja was in no shape to climb up trees. She reluctantly took the bloody body and climbed up the tree. She then hung the body upside down from a tree branch, and then came back then. The Yautja nodded approvingly but was not overly amused as Lex flicked the blood off her skin in revulsion.

The Yautja then placed the upper half of the human skull on his belt. "You will have a collection too, one day," he said.

"I would rather not," Lex replied.

He chuckled amused. "We learned it from you."

"At least we outgrew our savagery. What's your excuse?" Lex retorted.

He chuckled some more and rested next to the tree trunk. Lex kept watching while the Leader continued his hunt.

The Leader walked casually on the forest floor in cloak. He looked around for any clues, as to where the humans had gone. Suddenly, he was hit to the shoulder, and thrown down to the ground. The Leader immediately decloaked and threw the human off him. Toll got on top of the Yautja and began punching him in the mask. The Yautja head-butted him off stunning Toll briefly.

Barney and Lee entered the scene with weapons ready. "Wait, it's mine," Toll said to them.

The Leader got back to his feet and gave a challenging roar. Toll took out a long knife, and the Yautja likewise extended his blades. "Why don't you shoot it?" Lee shouted at him.

"No, he's a hunter. If I don't go for my gun, he won't either," Toll said confidently.

The Yautja seemed to confirm Toll's analysis and declined to use his plasma cannon. Toll rushed the Yautja, and the two clashed with their blades. "This is bullshit," Lee said to Barney.

Barney merely shrugged and kept his weapon ready. As the fight continued, Toll was getting tired. The powerful Yautja threw him against a tree stunning him. "I'm going in. I have a clear shot," Lee said.

Lee fired on the Yautja, and immediately the Leader cloaked himself. Lee and Barney kept it up spraying the area with bullets. The Leader was hit a few times and decloaked. Lee and Barney advanced on the creature with more automatic weapon fire. The Leader fell to the ground and stopped moving.

Out of ammunition, Lee took out a pistol and aimed for the Yautja's head. "Think it might be bulletproof?" Barney asked.

"One way to find out," Lee replied

A beam of light suddenly hit near Lee's foot spraying dirt into the air. Lee fell to the ground from the impact. Another beam hit near Barney forcing him to take cover. A number of beams sliced through the air without any real aim. Toll got back on his feet and moved suddenly toward Lee to push him down to the ground. The beam hit Toll to the chest blasting open his chest. His heart and lungs exploded, Toll fell to the ground instantly dead.

Lee and Barney quickly retreated into the forest. Lex decloaked, and dropped down to where the fight had occurred. She stared at Toll's dead body and realized with some horror that she had accidentally killed a human being again. The Leader struggled to get back to his feet while still bleeding from his injuries. Lex attempted to assist him, but he growled at her.

"Fine. Let's see how far you can walk with bullets in your leg," Lex said frustrated.

The Yautja attempted to move a few steps before falling to his knees. Lex again assisted him up, and this time he accepted. Lex cloaked them both and dragged the Leader to where the other Yautja was. Throwing them both down next to each other, Lex wondered what to do.

"They cannot escape," the Leader told Lex.

"If you had just shot them instead of wrestling with one of them, then they wouldn't have," Lex argued.

"It is permissible for me to kill them, but not you?" the Leader asked rhetorically.

"You're a monster. I was born a human being!" she shouted at him.

The Leader stayed silent for a moment. "If they are not killed, we will all die by other Yautjas."

"Maybe we all should," Lex replied angrily.

"The killing will continue with or without us in the hunt. But if you live, you can influence others to your thinking," the Leader said.

Lex considered the Leader's argument and could see the bigger picture. "Fine. I'll do it, but with my own methods."

Lex stalked off into the forest and then cloaked herself. The two Yautja chuckled to themselves at the Leader's persuasion.

Using her inhuman speed, Lex quickly gained lost ground. She found them together, as they went up towards the mountain. Lex targeted and fired on one of the humans. Lee's left arm suddenly got blasted off. He cried out in pain but kept his concentration. Still cloaked, Lex fired again nearly hitting Barney.

"Fight me!" Lee shouted raising his remaining fist.

Lex ignored the disabled Lee, and began firing on Barney, so as to keep the two away from each other. Lee took out a grenade and threw it towards Lex. She fired on the grenade in midair causing it to explode. Lee was hit with several pieces of shrapnel. Barney threw grenades as well, but Lex shot them out of the air.

Lex then fired on Lee blasting his right leg off. He fell to the ground crying out in pain. Lex then ignored Lee and went after Barney. She figured she didn't actually kill Lee if he bled out later. She had wounded him, but surely she didn't actually kill him. That was her reasoning, as she walked past Lee.

Barney went up higher in elevation hoping to use it to his advantage. Lex's mask gave her all the carbon dioxide she needed, as she went higher. Barney's veins surfaced all over his body, as his sixty-year-old frame labored the climb. He took cover among some rocks and fired on Lex. The bullets whizzed by her, but one sliced through a pipe connecting her mask.

Lex quickly realized her problem. She was running out of air and couldn't breathe. She quickly took the mask off hurting her vision, but at least she could breathe. She fell to the ground, as her lungs desperately tried to get the carbon dioxide she needed. The air was too thin, and her enormous body couldn't handle it. She was going to pass out if she didn't air.

Taking his spent rifle, Barney hit Lex to the head hard. She fell to the ground stunned and felt the worst headache of her life. Barney flung the rifle down on her, but she extended her blades and sliced it in half. Lex then kicked Barney away while slowly getting back to her feet.

"So, that's what you look like huh?" Barney asked rhetorically.

Lex kept her distance from him, as she tried to regain her breath. "You're smaller than the others. You're female," Barney judged.

"Nothing personal. You have to die," Lex told him.

"And why's that?" Barney asked irked. "Why did all of my men have to die?"

"You're the best humanity has to offer. By killing you, human lives will be saved," Lex said.

"No, because of us people live free. If not for us, dictators would kill, maim, torture, and imprison their own people," Barney argued.

Lex's brain was having difficulty processing. She wanted to agree with Barney but for some reason, he had to die. "Tell you what. Let me live, and I won't tell anyone. I'll give you whatever you want," Barney offered.

Lex considered the proposal. It seemed like a reasonable idea. She really didn't want to kill him anyway. Her carbon dioxide starved brain was losing resolve. Suddenly the Leader decloaked next to Lex and advanced on Barney.

Barney raised his fists against the Leader and smacked him hard to his mask. The Yautja punched Barney to the face nearly knocking him out. Lex watched in amazement, as the two fought it out. The Leader had the advantage with his mask, but he was also still hurt. Barney punched at the Leader's wounds making the fight nearly equal. After a few moments, Barney was tired and torn up from the Leader's blades.

With Barney subdued, the Leader withdrew giving Lex the kill. "My mask," Lex said to him in an attempt to excuse herself.

The Leader came over to her mask and worked on its machinery so the other pipes would compensate for the cut pipe. He then gave her the mask. Lex put the mask over her face, and started breathing normally again; her sight also improved dramatically. The Leader then pointed to Barney.

Lex targeted Barney and charged the plasma cannon. After a short pause, she fired at close range causing Barney's body to explode completely. The Leader gave her a look, and then back at the body. No skull could be collected from the mess. "We go back," he ordered her.

As they strolled back, Lex saw Lee's hung up body completely skinned. "He was not dead when I found him," the Leader told her.

Lex felt despair, guilt, but some relief that she didn't actually kill him. The Leader and Lex went back to their fallen comrade and initiated a pick-up. There was a bright light, and then they were back onboard the ship.

With their injuries not life-threatening, they stood at attention before the Elder. The Elder was not pleased one of them had died in the tunnel system inside the palace. "It is shameful that an inexperienced female lived, and a male warrior was killed," he said.

"His death was honorable. He killed many humans," the Leader said defensively.

"But no trophies to take back," the Elder reminded him. "What do you bring?"

The younger Yautja displayed the skull of Caesar. The Leader and Lex had nothing to show. "Why is this?" the Eldest asked of them.

"Elder, the female has violated our laws. She used disproportionate force on an unarmed human accidentally killing him. She then wounded a human, and left him to die; I finished the kill, but I would not collect his skill due to the dishonor. The female then completely annihilated the last human, so no trophy could be collected," the Leader reported.

"Do you deny any of this?" the Elder asked Lex.

"No. I guess not," Lex replied.

The Leader curled his mandibles at her in disgust. "She should be made to be a breeder."

The younger Yautja chuckled at that. "No, she shall learn our ways. You three were born Yautja and were trained since birth to kill. And yet, one of you is dead, and you bring back only one trophy," the Elder rebuked.

"Our performance was hindered by the female," the Leader argued.

"There will be more opportunities. Your request has been granted for the preserve," the Eldest replied.

"Preserve?" Lex asked confused.

"There is a moon in another system that was made to replicate your jungles. It is ideal for the hunt of men," the Eldest explained.

"Why just men?" Lex asked.

"We hunt other game as well. But man is the most clever of all game. It was one of the reasons why you were accepted," the Eldest said.

"Being a breeder can't be too bad. I'm sure it has its benefits," Lex began to babble.

"No, you will learn," the Elder insisted. "We have collected all of the humans for this cycle, except one. You will go to Earth, and find the last subject," the Eldest ordered her.

A computer screen showed the profiles of those who were to be hunted. Lex immediately recognized the first one; it was Royce. The others were a female sniper from Israel, a Muslim freedom fighter in Sierra Leon, a Mexican cartel enforcer, the FBI's most wanted, a soldier from Chechnya, and a member of the Yakuza Japanese mafia. They were the worst of the worst of human society.

Lex considered the humans and felt pity for some of them. "Find a human that compliments this group," the Eldest ordered.

* * *

The sound of the tattoo pen on the man's back made it difficult for Tool to hear the intruder come in. After Tool was done, and his client gone the intruder advanced on him. Tool laid back in his chair and waited for the intruder to decloak. The Yautja appeared before him with blades ready.

"Of all the people, I didn't think it would be you," Tool mused.

The Yautja considered his surroundings and hesitated to make a move. Tool stayed in his chair and took out a cigar. "Mind if I smoke?" he asked.

The Yautja didn't answer but advanced closer to him. "Just do what you've come to do," Tool told the Yautja as he smoked a few puffs. There was a flash of light, and that was it.


	8. Black Yautja

Lex walked through the city of Los Angeles as a human in casual clothes. She had been dropped off and injected with a temporary formula that would make her human for a short time. She was tasked with finding the last human for the Yautja's hunt. The Yautja wouldn't accept some random human. She needed to find a good one. She decided to use this opportunity to try to escape. She went to a major hospital.

After a long wait, she found herself in the care of a young doctor in his late twenties. "So, no identification or insurance. I guess you're lucky the government doesn't keep tabs on people like you," the doctor smiled amused.

Lex smiled back humoring him. "So, what can I do for you, miss?" the doctor asked.

"I need you to check my blood for anything weird," Lex requested.

"Anything weird, huh?" the doctor asked skeptically.

"Right. I think I might have leukemia or something," Lex said lamely.

"Tell you what. I know something that will make you feel a lot better," the doctor said getting out a needle.

"If you could test it that would be great," Lex said feeling uncomfortable.

"You won't feel a thing. I promise," the doctor said giving her a quick injection into her arm.

"Was that a test?" Lex asked curiously.

"Something like that," the doctor replied. "By the way. You can call me Edwin or Ed. Friends would call me Ed if I had any," the doctor smiled.

Lex felt a weird sensation and suddenly lost muscle control. She fell out of her chair and wasn't able to move. The doctor whistled away and took out a scapula. Lex struggled to move as the doctor was almost on her. "Don't be alarmed. It's a tranquilizer," the doctor told her.

Lex wanted to scream or shout for help but couldn't. The doctor reached for her wrists. "You're not going to feel a thing," he said and then slit her wrist. Blood started flowing out immediately from the wound. The doctor then reached for his phone and called the main hospital. "I have a suicide victim. I am going to need an ambulance as quickly as you can!" he said excitedly.

Once he was done, he went back over to Lex. "At the rate, you're going you'll be dead from blood loss and the neurotoxin will have disappeared," Edwin said pleased with his work.

Lex suddenly grabbed Edwin by the throat and lifted him off his feet. The wound on her wrist had regenerated and the toxin had been cleared through her system. "Impossible!" he gasped.

Lex took her own tranquilizer and injected Edwin's neck. He fell to the floor already unconscious. She then took out her communicator from her pocket and signaled a pick-up.

* * *

Back on the Yautja's ship, Edwin's limp body was dragged across the floor and placed in a special holding cell. The Elder gave Lex, who was now changed back, a suspicious look. "Why this human?" he asked.

"He tried to kill me with a neurotoxin. He's a psychopath," Lex said.

The other Yautja immediately made their objections known. The human was small, weak, not experienced in combat, non-military, etc. The Elder considered Lex and then silenced the others. "The human can give medical aid to the others making them more worthier prey. I have researched this human, and he has killed the same amount of people as the others through cunning deception. He will be an acceptable addition to the hunt," the Elder declared.

"The human doctor is not to be killed first among them," the Elder instructed the others.

During the flight, the male warriors rested. Lex was to spend most of her time learning Yautja culture, history, language, and tactics. The Elder was supervising her training as her eyes were focused on a red-colored screen.

"Tell me about the Schism?" she asked the Elder.

"Thousands of years ago, Yautja settled on a colony. Over a few generations, they forgot our customs and decided to kill all of the life forms on the planet. They went to another planet until they destroyed all the game there as well. During these thousand years, they altered their DNA so they could become faster, stronger, heavier than that of the rest of the species. This has always been strictly forbidden and the High Council condemned them to exile. They then hunted their fellow Yautja, stole weapons, technology, and ships from us. They now wander the galaxy," the Elder began.

"They do not share our values. They will kill indiscriminately, not always take trophies, and will not fight with the equivalent level of force as their prey. They fancy themselves the true predators of Galaxy and consider us their prey," the Elder said disgustedly.

Lex absorbed the information and realized with dread that there were even more dangerous aliens out there. Looking at the body statistics, her female Yautja body would be no match against a male Black Yautja. They were a foot taller and 100 pounds heavier than she was. Their heads were roughly twice as big as hers holding a large mandible jaw. Their genetic mutations not only made their jaws stronger, but they were more intelligent as well.

"They are rare in galaxy. You will not likely encounter them," the Elder assured her.

* * *

The Yautja ship approached a gas giant with several moons. Of those moons, one was hospitable and was covered in forests. The Yautja ship orbited the moon and studied it for a few hours. Another Yautja ship rose from the moon and took off signaling it was their turn.

"The moon is of similar size to Earth. Using terraforming techniques over many centuries, the atmosphere of the moon is the same as Earth as well as its atmospheric pressure. The gravity is also similar to that of Earth. We have successfully planted many species of plants and animals on the planet. It is ideal for hunting men," the Elder said proudly.

Lex considered the possibility of freeing the humans and taking over the ship. However, she didn't know how to wake them up nor if they would be cooperative with her plan. These people were the monsters of humanity. Before she could consider such things, the ship was suddenly hit with an explosion. The ship went into a spin and fell into the atmosphere.

"We're under attack!" one of the warriors informed the Elder.

"By whom?" the Elder demanded.

"It is one of our own," the warrior replied.

The ship was hit a few times more forcing a crash-landing. The warriors immediately went to get their gear encouraging Lex to do the same. Quickly, the Yautja put on their masks, armor, and weapons. "Release the prey!" the Elder ordered.

Several humans were thrown out of the ship with parachute devices on their backs. The ship crashed into the forest throwing a few Yautja around the ship. Lex was on the ground stunned by the impact.

"The ship is disabled," the warrior pilot informed the Elder.

"Evacuate the ship," the Elder ordered and then sent a bomb into the ship.

The Yautja ran out of ship just as it exploded. The Elder then accounted for everyone still alive; a few Yautja on board the ship had been killed in the explosion and impact. "Another ship is scheduled to arrive in a season," the Elder informed the group.

"How long is a season?" Lex asked curiously.

"Six of your months," he replied.

Lex sighed in a human-like gesture as she realized she was stuck on an alien moon that looked exactly like Earth. She could even recognize the species of trees and plants around her with her mask. "We must discover who attacked us," the Leader said to the Elder.

"We cannot investigate what is in space. We can only wait. In the meantime, we hunt!" the Elder declared.

* * *

Nearby, a Yautja ship landed gracefully on the ground. Three figures emerged from the craft and then started creating a base for themselves. They were larger, heavier, faster, and more powerful than a normal Yautja. They were the Black Yautja and had stolen a Yautja ship. They had made some modifications to their ship giving it better armor and weaponry. Their cloak made them undetectable, so they could sneak behind other ships.

Of the three, there was an Alpha male that Lex would later describe as Bezerker due to his behavior. He had a large overbite that went beyond his mask. On his right, was Falconer who hunted by using a remote-controlled drone. His mask covered his entire face. On his left was Tracker, whose lower jaw held large tusks resembling an elephant. The three were all armed with the most modern Yautja weapons.

They looked around, clicked to each other for a moment, and then Tracker took out a whistle. A dozen animals the size of large feline cats or bears ran towards them. They were covered in spikes and had large jaws. Tracker played his whistle again and immediately the beasts ran into the forest.

Of the Yautja that survived only four remained. They were the Elder, the squad leader from before, a junior warrior, and Lex. The hunting beasts tore through the forests and using their sense of smell attacked the junior warrior and Lex. The beast cut into the Yautja's arm but in a quick slice the Yautja cut its head off. Lex kicked the beast off her, targeted it with her plasma cannon, and hit it causing an explosion of guts.

The Elder gestured his displeasure of Lex's use of force. The correct amount of force was to use blades. Blade for blade, projectile to projectile was the rule. The Elder used a scythe blade and expertly cut the beasts' heads off. The squad leader used a shuriken blade to slice a beast's throat open before it even got near. A whistle signaled for the beasts to return sending them reluctantly away.

"These beasts are used for hunting," the squad leader considered.

"What foe are we dealing with?" the junior warrior wondered.

"There is only one kind of foe that would do this," the Elder realized.

A sudden plasma burst hit the junior warrior to the chest. He fell to the ground immediately and stopped moving. "They can see throughout cloaks!" the squad leader growled.

The three remaining Yautja fired into the forest creating a small forest fire. More energy discharges went straight for the three. Lex got down to gain some cover around some of the tree trunks. A small device flew through the air near them and then shot back away. The enemy shots became more accurate; the squad leader got hit in the leg and then his own plasma cannon got blasted off.

The three Black Yautja decloaked revealing themselves. The Elder took his scythe blade and pointed it at them in defiance. Berzerker and the Elder clashed with blades and were seemingly evenly matched. Falconer and Tracker ganged up on the squad leader cutting him multiple times until he was dead. Lex watched in silent horror as the Berzerker slashed the Elder's staff in half. Berzerker then forced the end of the staff into the Elder's neck. Finally, with his blade Berzerker slit the Elder's throat and then the Elder's head fell off.

Lex tried to keep herself hidden from the Black Yautja but was soon discovered as well. Three triangle beams were on her body from their plasma cannons. She stood up and lifted her hands in surrender. The Black Yautja chuckled at her in amusement.

"Remove your weapons," Berzerker ordered.

Lex slowly took off her mask and the rest of her gear and placed it on the ground. She was horrified as to what would happen next. Would they kill her or do something far worse? Berzerker then pointed a device at her and immediately she was caught in a net. Falconer gathered her gear and the three walked casually through the forest dragging Lex along with them.

Once they had gotten to their destination, Bezerker cut the net around Lex. She attempted to escape but was easily tackled to the ground by Tracker. Bezerker then took her by the throat and pinned her to a monolith structure. Looking around, she saw pikes with skinned animals all around her. Falconer took a large metal chain and wrapped it tightly around her waist and the monolith. Pinned to the structure, she couldn't move her arms or legs. The Black Yautja mocked her some more and then walked off into the forest.

* * *

For a number of hours, the Black Yautja would enter the camp, place skeletons on pikes, skin various kinds of game, and then go out again. They ignored Lex, for the most part, chuckling every so often at her expense. She realized with disgust that there were a number of human skulls placed around the camp. It was similar to a hunting shrine. The stench of the dead bodies irritated her, but in some corner of her brain, she was attracted to it. She was glad she could not see like a human her surroundings. She worried the entire time whether she would be killed, tortured, raped, or any other sadistic idea the aliens could come up with. While strapped to the monolith, she didn't feel any real sense of shame. She was barely dressed, but she never saw her skin as herself. Rather, she felt her body was merely a costume over her true self. She could be tied naked to the monolith and not feel anything from it. Unlike a normal Yautja, she didn't even care if they messed up her hair.

Finally, a team of heavily armed humans entered the camp. She was asleep at the time trying to ignore the reality around her. This was the same team her Yautja group had collected. The doctor that tried to kill her would be among them. Tool, unfortunately, didn't even get a chance to survive; his parachute didn't open correctly due to the rush of sending the humans out. His body slammed into the forest floor. The last remaining member of Dutch's team was still alive; Royce was out front.

Lex awoke to find the end of a mini-gun in her face. She immediately woke up and instinctively roared at the offender. The Chechnya fighter backed up in fear, and Lex regained her composure for the moment. Suddenly, blades sliced through the Sierra Leon fighter. He shot off his machine gun in vain, as his spine, lungs, and heart were punctured. The other humans fired in all directions in an attempt to hit the Black Yautja gang. Many of the bullets and pellets nearly hit Lex, as they went past her. The whole area was being shot up by the humans' panicked attempt to defend themselves.

"Go, go now!" Lex said to the humans in a guttural tone, as she struggled with her binds.

The Black Yautja advanced using their laser sights. They blasted the Chechnya's mini-gun, so it was unusable. They then fired into the forest forcing the humans to retreat away. Falconer engaged his tracking device into the air. A few minutes later, the device came back to Falconer attaching back onto his shoulder. The three Black Yautja briefly decloaked, as they considered their next move.

* * *

For the next several hours, Lex was left with little to look forward to. The humans were her only hope, and they had been routed. At least one of them was dead and the remaining humans were probably being killed off one by one. Finally, in the evening one of the humans came back to the camp. She recognized him as one of Dutch's teammates named Royce. He pulled out a long knife and attempted to engage her in dialogue.

"I want off this planet," he said.

That was easier said than done, but Lex would tell him anything he wanted to hear to get down. "You understand me?" he asked.

"Yes, I understand," Lex said slowly, so she could articulate the words correctly.

"I'll cut you down. You take me to the ship," he offered.

Lex nodded to his request. She had very little flying experience and couldn't make any promises on whether she could take him back to Earth or not. However, she decided she would say anything to get cut down. Royce then took his knife and sliced off the binds around her waist. She fell to the ground with an embarrassing thud.

Getting back to her feet, she stared at Royce. Her vision could detect infrared disturbances in his body indicating internal bleeding or low body temperature. Judging him to be fine, she concentrated on getting her equipment back on. Royce simply stared as she quickly put her wristbands on, her plasma cannon, her shoulder pads, knee pads, back armor plate, and finally her mask.

"You're different than the others," Royce muttered.

Lex pointed to herself. "Female."

Royce nodded and then smirked like he knew he was doomed. Lex didn't particularly like his misogynistic tone, as she was roughly his height and one hundred pounds heavier than him. She could easily smack him around like a doll. She punched some buttons on her wristband which showed a hologram display of the solar system and then the planet Earth. Royce seemed to have greater confidence in her now.

She used her wristband to communicate with the Black Yautja ship. It became active again and started readying its engines. Berzerker then appeared holding a net with two human victims. Lex couldn't make out who the two were and was mainly focused on Royce. He looked like he was going to flee.

"Kill him or no ship," she said to Royce.

It was a harsh thing to say coming from Lex, but it was the only practical way. She knew that the monster only had a wrist communicator, and would blast them out of the sky with it if they attempted to leave. Royce seemed to understand but wasn't going to fire shotgun rounds near the two captured humans. Lex, likewise, wasn't going to shoot off her plasma cannon with humans so near.

Berzerker roared his displeasure at the Yautja/human alliance. It reminded her of when she allied with Scar back on Antarctica although now the roles were reversed. The two Yautja charged each other. Berzerker was heavier and more powerful and easily slammed her to the ground. He then punched her to the face twice nearly stunning her.

Royce came to her aid slicing the arm of the Black Yautja. He backhanded Royce away knocking him to the ground. Berzerker then attempted to slam his foot on her. She moved just in time and smacked Berzerker away. The Black Yautja fell to the ground stunned by what had just happened. The two stood and circled each other.

Berzerker roared once more and ran at her. Lex attempted to dig in her heels and block. Berzerker pushed her across the wet mud of the camp eventually sending her to the ground. Berzerker attempted to get on top of her, but she tossed him off sending him into a fire. Lex scrambled to get back up and then targeted Berzerker with her plasma cannon. Unlike a normal Yautja, she didn't have the values of fair play. She fired on Berzerker forcing him to retreat and starting fires in the forest. She then targeted the trophies destroying as many as she could see. When she was done, Berzerker was missing.

Lex then turned to Royce who had a torch in his hand. "Create fire….everywhere," she told him.

"Why?" he questioned.

Lex pointed to the eye holes on her mask. Royce nodded in understanding and began to light everything on fire. She wouldn't be able to see very well with fire everywhere but neither could Berzerker. She turned on her cloak and waited. Berzerker walked around seemingly confused. His cloak had been damaged due to a previous battle with the humans. Lex fired on him blasting away his mask and some of his armor. Lex could now see the Black Yautja without his mask. He had large mandibles that made him look like he had an insect head. Berzerker charged her, but she smacked him to the face. She then went for the kill with her bladed right arm. Berzerker blocked her and then head-butted her hard. Lex was stunned by the blow and after two more head-butts her mask fell off. She was bleeding from her head and could barely concentrate on anything but the pain.

Berzerker then grabbed Lex by the throat with one hand and prepared his bladed hand to slit her throat. Just as he was about to, a blade sliced off Berzerker's arm. Lex was freed and fell to the ground. Berzerker roared in pain and backed away dumbfounded. Royce found himself a metal club and started to whack at the Yautja. He used the fire to his advantage since it confused the Yautja's visual scanner. Still, the Black Yautja had hunter instincts. He fired on Royce exploding a tree near him. He fell to the ground burnt and hurt. Berzerker advanced on Royce kicking him and throwing him about. The Black Yautja was just about to kill him when a bullet went through his back.

Lex turned to see the woman with a sniper rifle. The Black Yautja fell to his knees upon being shot. Royce took immediate action by hitting Berzerker several times with the club busting open his head. Royce finally sliced Berzerker's head off. Royce then walked over to the woman with the sniper rifle and then to Lex who was still on the ground.

"We need it," Royce told the sniper woman.

Lex wasn't happy about being called an "it" but she was too dazed to protest. She was still bleeding green from her forehead and had a painful headache. Royce assisted Lex to her feet and kept her up. "The ship? Remember the ship?" Royce said to her.

Lex pointed the way to it. "We have to bring him with us," the sniper woman said to Royce.

"After what he tried to do to you?" Royce protested.

"Who?" Lex asked groggily.

The doctor was on the ground still bleeding from his mouth. "Don't kill me," he said pathetically, as he tried to crawl away.

Lex grabbed him by the throat and lifted him up. "You want to be like me?" she asked in a harsh tone.

"Please let me live," he said, as he coughed on his own blood.

Lex let the doctor fall to the ground not certain what to do with him. She didn't want to kill him in cold blood, but she couldn't trust him either. "You decide," she said to Royce and continued her walk towards the ship.

* * *

A few moments later, Royce and the sniper woman caught up to her at the ship. They had decided not to kill the doctor but to simply hand him a metal club so he could fend for himself. It was a death sentence of a sort. He would mostly die of his injuries, get an infection, or become eaten by a wild animal. Lex felt at ease with the decision, since she didn't have to make it and the doctor had tried to kill her.

She entered the ship and attempted to access the computers. She didn't understand any of the language or the controls of the ship. She was able to get some computer articles on the moon and the system they were in but not on how to set a course for Earth. "What's the problem?" Royce asked impatiently.

"Don't know. I need help," she said.

"That's just great. An alien that doesn't even know how to fly a spaceship," Royce said sarcastically.

"Cut her some slack. She is the only way off this planet," the sniper woman said.

An image of the moon appeared as a hologram. It showed ships of similar design orbiting the planet, but they seemed to be chasing each other around the gas giant. Some of them were firing rockets at each other, and ships were being destroyed. Lex realized there was some kind of blockade occurring in space. Even if she could get the ship into space, it would be fired upon.

"We stay here," she told them.

Lex punched the keys that would make their ship cloaked in case there were any other Black Yautja out there. She found the ship remarkable clean; she had expected the Black Yautja to be like beasts. Royce and Isabelle nervously looked around the ship.

"So, what the fuck do we do now?" Royce asked rudely.

Lex fidgeted with the language controls on her mask so that it would replicate a human voice. The Yautja would often do this to lure humans to them. She had programmed her mask with her own human voice before she changed back. "There is food, water, and beds here," Lex said with a more human voice.

Royce simply stared at Lex, as he heard the simulated human voice. He eyed her as if he had heard the same voice before. "She's right. We should get some rest," Isabelle said.

"Can we trust you?" Royce asked Lex rhetorically.

"You're welcome to fend for yourself in the forest," Lex replied annoyed.

"I want some answers. How did I get on this planet?" Royce asked.

"You were transported here like the others. You were captured one-by-one into a game preserve," Lex explained.

"Why me?" Royce asked.

Lex shook her head in a human-like expression, as she realized she would have to tell him the truth. "You performed well retrieving our weapon. You were the loose end," Lex told him.

Lex walked over to a desk that held the plasma cannon and showed it to Royce. "You understand now?" she asked him.

"Yeah…loose end?" Royce asked.

"All of the others involved in that mission are dead," Lex answered.

Royce's eyes flashed when he heard that. "Dutch…Barney….Lee…," he started to list off.

"They were all hunted and killed," Lex interrupted.

"I recognize your voice now. It's the same voice as the woman who was with us. Did you kill her too and record her voice?" Royce accused.

"No, I am that woman," Lex clarified.

"How is that possible?" Royce wondered.

"I used to be human just like you. I was part of an expedition in Antarctica. My crew was killed, and they almost left me there to freeze to death. But they decided to kidnap me and change me into this. One of the captured prey escaped. We crash landed and the weapon was confiscated by the government. They couldn't afford to allow humans to have such weaponry so either it was retrieved or the whole human race could have been wiped out. You get it?" Lex said.

"So, that justifies the killing of all my men?" Royce asked angrily.

"Your men? You're a mercenary for hire with no loyalties. You have killed scores of people all over the world. You are no different than them. At least, I gave you a chance to survive," Lex shot back.

"You're a traitor to your own race," Royce accused.

"I didn't choose this form. If I could change back I would, but I can't. I can only take my human form for a short time," Lex said.

"I think we should trust her," Isabelle interjected.

"Why the fuck should we?" Royce asked her.

"We barely survived two days. How do you expect we survive without help?" she asked.

"Those parachutes we saw. There are others like us, and they have guns. We bring them all together, and we fight the bastards," Royce suggested.

"Everything is completely under their control. Just one of them could kill an entire team, and they have ships watching in space. You can't form a rebellion," Lex disagreed.

"Then what do you suggest we do?" Royce asked incredulously.

"We find another one of them to help pilot us out of this blockade," Lex replied.

"We should get some sleep. All of us," Isabelle said.

Lex took off her mask and her equipment, as she readied for bed. She was using one of the quarters the Black Yautja had used. She locked the door behind her; she didn't trust those two humans. She had good reason to believe the ship was well hidden and that they wouldn't be attacked. She went to sleep only to face nightmares of Black Yautja in her head.

* * *

When she woke up, the two humans were still asleep. Lex toured the ship finding their trophy room. She realized with some disgust that there were a dozen human skulls placed in the room. She also found a holding cell with the beasts that acted as hunting dogs for them. The beasts growled at her as if programmed to want to kill her. However, as soon as fed them with some raw meat, they changed their tune.

She looked over a hologram of a map. She could see a large valley and markings indicating camps. She also received a message from another Black Yautja team asking how the hunt was progressing. She decided not to reply thinking she would immediately give herself away. When the two humans woke up, they both ate whatever was available.

"So, how are we going to find our pilot?" Royce asked suspiciously.

"First, we are going to load up on weapons and utilize their cloaking technology. Using this, I know the positions of the aliens," Lex said pointing to her wristband.

"Fresh air would be good. It's stuffy in here," Royce commented.

After their meal, Lex showed them the plasma cannon weapons. They took the form of a gun like before. Lex taught Royce and Isabella how to use the weapons. She then gave them armor, a mask, and wristbands with the cloaking technology. When they were finally dressed, they appeared as miniature Yautja; almost childlike compared to her.

They stepped outside the ship and immediately activated the cloaking device. They walked single file through the forest, as they searched for a fellow Yautja that could help them. Lex wasn't entirely sure there would be any normal Yautja in the preserve left. After a long walk, they deactivated the cloaking device. "I think I am going to be sick," Isabelle complained.

"The cloaking device has some side effects," Lex told her.

"I feel it too," Royce admitted.

"We have to keep moving," Lex encouraged.

"Mile-after-mile, they continued through the forest. For Lex, she didn't feel a thing but the two humans were getting slower-and-slower. She eventually stopped and waited for them to catch up. A plasma burst suddenly went through the air. They immediately activated their cloak and looked for the source of the burst. More blue plasma bursts went through the air creating explosions around them. The three retaliated sending plasma bursts back at the enemy.

"Time to go," Lex pressed them.

They ran through the forest until they reached an open clearing down the hill. The entire area was filled with plasma fire. None of the combatants were visible but plasma bursts were coming from the trees, behind rocks, from close to the ground; it resembled a war zone. On occasion, a plasma burst would get close to a combatant and suddenly they would decloak. They were Yautja firing on each other. One side was the Black Yautja and on the other side was normal Yautja. The Black Yautja were winning with superior numbers and technology. Falcon drones flew around the battlefield shooting at some of the Yautja down below deactivating their cloak.

"We can't go there," Lex said to her group.

The Black Yautja advanced killing the normal Yautja on the field. Lex led the team away from the battlefield but had the impression she was being followed. Suddenly, she was hit flinging her to the ground. Her back armor had protected her from being killed, but her cloak had deactivated. Royce and Isabelle returned fire with their plasma rifles. However, they were inexperienced and their weapons became too hot to use.

The three Black Yautja decloaked and advanced on the group. They chuckled at the human/female Yautja alliance. The leader extended his blades and went towards Lex for the kill. Plasma bursts from all directions fired around them. They hit the Black Yautja killing all three of them in an instant. Lex, Royce, and Isabelle faced different directions, as they tried to find the origin of the attack.

"Let's move," Royce suggested.

The three moved up the hill to higher rocky ground. Royce was ahead with Lex injured from being shot at. He climbed up a hill and found red dots all over his body. He tensed up and waited for the end as the red dots concentrated on him. Lex came up the hill and realized what was happening. With the emergence of Lex, the red dots disappeared from Royce's body.

Five normal Yautja decloaked before them. "Why are you here?" one of them asked Lex in Yautja.

Lex told them her mission and the death of her Yautja crew. "Why are the humans with you?" he asked.

"These two killed three Black Yautja," Lex explained. It was half true; she was involved in the fight too. The Yautja seemed somewhat impressed with a series of clicks. "They have our weapons," he said displeased.

"The weapons they were given have no ammunition left," Lex explained.

"It is not for us to decide the humans' fate. You will come with us," he said roughly.

Lex turned to Royce and Isabelle. "We have to follow them, or they'll kill you both."

Royce and Isabelle reluctantly followed behind. The group looked in all directions for any Black Yautja activity. When the day came to an end, they set up camp. "Where are we going?" Lex asked them.

"Our Prince is not far," they said.

"What is happening on this moon?" Lex asked.

"The Black Yautja are trying to take this game preserve from us. They did not build it nor maintain it, but they wish to take it from us," he said.

"How do we get off the moon?" Lex asked. "I have a ship," Lex added and then showed a hologram of its location.

"If we take the ship, we will fight them in space!" the Yautja said; the others raised their weapons in solidarity.

Lex wasn't happy with that answer. "We have no need to leave here," he said. "The Black Yautja is not a threat to our Prince."

"What's so special about this Prince?" Lex asked.

The Yautja stared at her ignorance. "He has a superior intellect."


	9. Black Yautja II

The next morning, the Yautja rudely woke up Lex and the two humans. They walked through the forest without interruption until they finally reached a pyramid of a sort. The Yautja leader motioned for everyone to stop. "You are to follow behind us," the leader said. "Do not deviate from the path," he added.

The group walked in a strictly straight line towards the pyramid and then the leader gave a halt signal. The stone pyramid doors opened allowing them inside. The pyramid was not what Lex thought it would be. It was well lit inside with statues of Yautja on either side of the path. There were also stuffed animals, animal heads, artifacts of various alien races including human, and what Lex suspected were video cameras. The squad leader stopped suddenly and waited. After a few minutes, the pyramid began to move. The walls changed, and rooms shifted just like in Antarctica. The squad leader then led them through the tunnels towards the center of the pyramid. The pyramid then moved again creating a maze of a sort. They then went up towards the top of the pyramid and entered a throne room of sort on the upper level.

"The Prince," the squad leader informed Lex.

Lex was expecting a large muscular Yautja like the Elders she had been with. However, the Prince was not so. He was slightly taller than her, slender, and had no armor on. There was a staff planted in the floor next to his throne. The throne was white and upon closer viewing was made entirely of bone. The bones were mainly humerus and femur bones with rib bones curved around the armrests. At the end of the armrests where his palms rested were two human skulls.

The Prince appeared bored at first and then held interest upon seeing Lex. The Yautja team came before the Prince and bowed in submission. Lex did the same. "Have the female come before me," the Prince requested.

"Bring her to me," the Prince ordered.

The guards escorted Lex closer to the throne and then had her kneel a few steps before him. "Kill the humans," he ordered his guards.

Royce and Isabelle didn't react since the Prince was speaking in Yautja clicks. Guards in cloak behind Royce and Isabelle suddenly revealed themselves. "No!" Lex said out of turn.

The Prince ignored her and motioned with his hands. The guards extended their blades to kill the two humans from behind. Lex's plasma cannon targeted the Prince to the face. The Prince noticed the change in direction as did his guards. They threw her down to the floor and took the plasma cannon off her shoulder. Lex quickly armed the detonator on her wrist. It beeped as the counter started.

"Run!" Lex told the humans in English.

The guards beat her down as she struggled but the Prince motioned again to his guards. They withdrew from the humans and disappeared. "Disarm her," the Prince said to his guards.

They roughly took off all of her arms but were unable to take the bomb off her wrist. The Prince stood up and stared at Lex's maskless face as the counter continued to go down. "I will spare the humans," he promised.

"How can I trust you?" she asked.

"The doors are locked. The humans will die by either my hand or your bomb," the Prince said.

"Then, I will at least take you with me," Lex said bravely.

The Prince waited patiently as the timer was about to end. Lex closed her eyes as she prepared to die. The blast would surely destroy her as well as the entire pyramid. She could hear the shouting and resisting of Royce and Isabelle. At least, she would die knowing she had killed the monsters' prince. The timer ended but nothing happened.

Lex opened her eyes and saw her timer stopped on the last bar. The wristband also became unlocked and was quickly confiscated by the guards. "Interesting," the Prince said while holding a metal rod in his hand. The Prince then turned to the humans.

"Put them in a cell while I consider their fate," the Prince ordered.

The two humans were roughly taken away from the chamber. "Leave us," the Prince said to his guards. When they had all left, the Prince and Lex were alone. As the doors closed, Lex attacked the Prince. The Prince expertly blocked her clumsy attacks and then kicked her down the stairs leading up to his throne. The Prince casually walked down the stairs as Lex got back to her feet.

Lex attempted another attack but the Prince quickly subdued her with quick punches and kicks. He was the fastest Yautja Lex had ever faced. He wasn't using his body weight to slam her to the ground. She fell to her knees devastated by the strategically placed punches and kicks to her body. "Shall we continue?" the Prince asked mockingly.

Her final leverage gone, Lex had nothing against the Prince. "You win," she relented.

"I won the moment you entered my pyramid," the Prince said to her. He then took out the metal rod that was attached to the armor on his leg. "This is an electromagnetic pulse generator. It disrupts all electrical activity within a certain range. Your bomb has been permanently disabled," the Prince explained.

Lex simply stared at the Prince. She never knew such a weapon could exist. "I regret the invention of our energy weapons. Our hunters rely too much on these weapons. Our ancestors didn't rely on them. They used blades, spears, bow and arrows, traps, and natural camouflage," the Prince mused.

"What do you think?" the Prince asked.

"I agree," Lex said telling him the truth and patronizing him at the same time

The Prince touched her arm which had been cut by the guards. He eyed the green blood, smelled it, and then flicked it away. "Your blood even appears like ours," the Prince said thoughtfully.

"When did you change, human, and why?" the Prince ordered.

Lex thought about lying but the Prince had seen through her. She told the Prince everything about her change and what she had done. The Prince seemed to listen intently and questioned her on details. "It is curious how you managed to survive while so many great warriors have perished," the Prince said.

"I didn't betray any of them," Lex said truthfully.

"I didn't make that accusation," the Prince silenced her. "You are a survivor is my point."

"What happens now?" Lex wondered.

"What should a Yautja do with those human prisoners?" the Prince asked.

"They should be released," Lex replied.

"And?"

"Give them weapons and allow them to get far away," Lex added.

"So, they can be a more challenging hunt?" the Prince questioned.

Lex said nothing. The Prince chuckled in a way that imitated a human. It was both sinister and creepy. "Give me a reason to spare them," the Prince asked of her.

Lex thought about it and then considered an idea that might work. "The two humans killed three Black Yautja. They have proven to be skilled killers on Earth and on this moon," Lex began.

"Go on," the Prince entertained her.

"They are strong, fast, and intelligent. They must have good genes to allow them to live, so they will populate the moon with their offspring," Lex said. She was reminded of the classes she took concerning the relocation of wolves.

"Good. You are thinking like a true hunter. On this moon, we have taken the best of the best humanity has had to offer over the centuries. But it wasn't until recently that female humans became worthy prey as well. Killing all of the humans is such a waste when we can design humans to be stronger and faster than the ones on Earth," the Prince said impressed.

Lex simply stared at the Prince with some horror. She had just condemned scores of humans to be hunted all their lives without ever being killed and then a hellish existence for their children too. "The Black Yautja do not consider these things. All they know to do is kill. A man who managed to escape us for years was killed a few days ago. His genes could have been valuable," the Prince said sadly.

"The humans will be released far from here and will have one year to procreate. If they fail to do so, I will have them hunted," the Prince said to her.

"Thank you," Lex said lamely.

"Thank you…?" the Prince said mockingly.

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Lex said after a pause.

"As for you, you will be assigned to my court. No Yautja would ever weaken himself to become a human. And rarely if ever are humans given the opportunity to be one of us. Some of the serial killers that were never caught by human authorities ended up being one of us," the Prince revealed.

Lex wasn't surprised which amused the Prince. "So, you are one of the few that bridges humanity and our kind. What do you think of our kind so far?"

"The truth is that I think you are all psychotic killers," Lex answered.

The Prince clicked amused. "You do not know the whole story. This moon used to be lifeless, but we planted this forest from Earth forests. Humans have nearly destroyed the rainforests, but we have successfully replicated it here on this moon. We came to your planet and gave you civilization. Before we came to your planet, you were hunters. We gave you the knowledge to build cities, form religions, and understand the universe scientifically. Isn't that worth something?"

"Just because you gave us technology in the past doesn't mean you have the right to kill people," Lex said defiantly.

"And yet humanity hunts and kills other animals," the Prince observed.

"That's different," Lex said lamely.

"It is not. Humanity has driven the great apes to almost extinction by hunting. And yet, humans are closer to these apes in intellect than you are to us," the Prince said and then pointed to his forehead. "So, why can't we treat humans the same?"

"You are not that smart," Lex doubted.

"You are speciesists. You put a value on human life and set yourselves apart from all other life forms. You believe in the sanctity of human life. You would kill all the fish of the ocean, all the birds in the sky, and all that crawls on the ground before you would allow one human to die. Let go of your specism and consider humanity objectively," the Prince told her.

"Can you use that intellect of yours to look inward at yourself," Lex said boldly.

"I am an idealist and a reformer. I am not your enemy but your greatest ally. Fate has destined us together, and you will be safe as long as you stay with me," the Prince said.

The Prince and Lex walked down the halls of the pyramid. Lex had no doubt that Yautja guards were in cloak around them. Every so often, the walls of the pyramid would change but the Prince didn't seem perturbed by this. "Some Black Yautja tried to storm my palace. When they did, they become trapped inside and never came out," the Prince said.

The Prince and Lex then exited the pyramid but the Prince held her shoulder back, so she wouldn't go a step forward. "The ground here doesn't exist. It is a hologram that fools the eyes and the sensors in the masks," the Prince told her.

"My mask," the Prince ordered a subordinate.

The Prince put on his mask and stared at the ground. He then gave the mask to Lex. The vision on the mask changed until it turned to a new setting of vision. The pyramid was surrounded by a deep chasm on all sides. At the bottom of the chasm were long spikes. Several animals and Black Yautja were impaled on the spikes. The only way to cross to get to the pyramid was a retractable bridge. That was why the guards had told her to step behind them perfectly. Had she deviated by more than a foot, she would have fallen into the pit.

Lex took off the mask and stared at the Prince. "The hologram changes light frequencies every few days so the Black Yautja cannot adapt. They only see an open green field and then fall on my spikes," the Prince explained.

"You could have cloaked the pyramid, but you didn't. This is a trap designed to lure them to you," Lex realized.

The Prince seemed to smile with his mandibles. "Still, eventually they will discover the edge of the pit," Lex reasoned.

"Observe," the Prince said to her.

Three Black Yautja marched double-time towards the pyramid. They crossed the field towards the entrance. The Prince gave a guard the signal and then suddenly the Black Yautja fell through the ground and disappeared. Lex gave the Prince a confused look.

"I can generate a force field that simulates walking on the ground. Upon deactivation of the force field, the target falls through," he explained.

"Seems too easy," Lex muttered.

"When I hunt, I use the weapons of my ancestors. But for my own personal security, I use the most modern technology we have," the Prince said.

The Prince escorted Lex to the basement level of the pyramid. There, the Prince inspected the three dead Black Yautja impaled on the spikes. "Recover their weapons," the Prince ordered his guards.

The Prince then turned to a senior guard. "Release the humans into the preserve and encourage them not to come back. They are not to be hunted."

The Prince then turned to Lex. "We shall dine now."

* * *

Lex was guest of honor at the Prince's table. The table was a metal slab and the chairs were likewise metallic. Lex was placed at one end of the table while the Prince was on the opposite side. The royal guards sat on the sides of the table. A hologram projector was present in the middle of the table. The Prince activated the hologram while dinner was being served. It showed a red hologram showing a 3D image of the moon. There were also texts in the Yautja language flashing on the screen.

The Prince clicked his fingers on the table, as he continued to read the information. The Yautja fleet was being pushed back by the stronger Black Yautja ships. Additionally, there were more ships landing on the moon. Lex could read some of the languages but the Prince was a fast reader. He waved his hand displaying information of a different kind.

"We have a species on this planet that has exceeded its population limit," the Prince said to the group.

The hologram displayed an image of a humanoid looking alien. It was reptilian, tall, slender, and fast. The Prince placed the creature on a list. The Yautja guards clicked in approval of the hunt. "You will be accompanying me on the hunt," the Prince said to Lex. It wasn't a request but an order.

"You expect me to kill it?" Lex asked.

"I am curious as to whether you could without advanced technology," the Prince replied. He then turned to his guards. "The first skull belongs to me. You may acquire for yourselves the remaining trophies," the Prince told his guards.

They abruptly pounded the table in approval. One of the guards served liquid into Lex's cup. She tested it and found it to be fruit juice. "We have managed to plant many of the same plants and animals on this moon as Earth. Many of Earth's most endangered species reside here," the Prince told her.

"Quite the environmentalist," Lex muttered.

The guards looked at her like she was a bug. "Forgive her manners. She has not yet been civilized," the Prince told his guards.

Dishes were placed on the table; an assortment of different kinds of meats. "This is python, this is bear, and this is zebra," the Prince pointed out to Lex. A dish with the dead head of a monkey with its skull cap removed was placed before the Prince. Lex's poor eyesight couldn't distinguish the difference between the meats, so she had no qualms about eating it.

"Millions of years ago, we used to have snouts with many sharp teeth. Since then our snouts have disappeared and all that which is left are these four mandibles. In a few million years, our faces may resemble that of a human," the Prince said.

The guards clicked in amusement at the possibility. "Our species has evolved on many different paths. Humans were descendants of a primitive primate and that primate spawned the gorilla, chimpanzee, orangutan, and all other primates. Likewise, we have also evolved on different planets and moons. The Black Yautja have managed to accelerate their mutation but unfortunately for them, they are devolving. They are nostalgic for the time when Yautja were bigger and stronger but less intelligent," the Prince said.

"I have analyzed your blood and found there to be some human genes. When you were changed, you received dominant Yautja genes. Your human genes still exist but are recessive. Any child you conceive with another Yautja will, of course, be Yautja but may have some human genetic traits," the Prince revealed.

Lex mandibles quivered slightly as an involuntary reflex of embarrassment to the topic. "The biological clock, so to speak, of Yautja females is longer than human females. You have time to consider your options," the Prince said to her.

Lex wondered if she really had a choice in the matter. "Due to our dangerous occupation, there is a severe imbalance in the male/female sex ratio. Sex-selective abortion is prohibited and deeply dishonorable so as a consequence many males have more than one female mate," the Prince continued.

Lex simply stared at the Prince. She hadn't been taught the mating arrangements of the Yautja. She had avoided the subject altogether, so she wouldn't have to think about it. "How many wives do you have?" Lex asked boldly.

"At present, I have six wives and thirteen young children," the Prince revealed.

Lex tried to not appear judgmental. She had been to many countries including India where such marriages existed. She didn't like the arrangement for herself, but she understood it. "What is your opinion of that?" the Prince asked her.

"Congratulations," Lex said with fake sentiment.

"The other Princes typically take nearly a hundred wives each. They spread their seed far and wide," the Prince said.

"Why don't you do the same?" Lex asked.

"There are two different kinds of heirs. There are the heirs by blood who carry my genes. Then, there are heirs by loyalty. These heirs follow my philosophy and teachings. It is my hope that my children will become such heirs. If I had hundreds of wives and children, I would not have time to instruct any single heir my teachings," the Prince answered.

This made sense to Lex. "Are there any wives or any of your children here?" she asked.

"No, this moon is in a state of war. I would not bring them here. If I die, one of my brothers will take my wives and children into his house," the Prince said.

"How long has there been a war here?" Lex asked.

"Several hundreds of years. This is a strategic location for resources and hunting grounds. This solar system has a number of terraformed moons and the gas giant planet here is rich in hydrocarbons. Fortunately for Earth, the Black Yautja have been prevented from extending that far," the Prince explained.

"How can the war be won?" Lex asked.

"Win the war? Why would we want that?" the Prince asked amused.

Lex simply stared at him dumbfounded. "The Black Yautja do hunt and kill us and sometimes do so in dishonorable ways. But we do the same to them. Of all the prey in the galaxy, the Black Yautja provides the greatest challenge. We control their numbers of course, but we will never exterminate them completely," the Prince said.

"Why can't there be peace?" Lex asked.

"Neither side wants peace. War is what gives us meaning. It inspires us to create powerful weapons, ships, and explore the galaxy. If not for the hunt, we would have never had been inspired to explore beyond our own planet," the Prince answered.

"I was an explorer too. I climbed every kind of mountain on Earth, every kind of cliff, and every kind of glacier. I never felt the need to kill anything," Lex said boldly.

"No, humans are different from us. Humans fight for money and mates. Before we came to your planet, tribes would slaughter each other and rape the females. They would destroy their environment killing everything that moved and exhausted the soil when they farmed. Humans have had many nations, and they can't agree on anything significant. We became a unified people and ended the wars through the hunt. We channeled our aggressive nature for one unified purpose. Any attempt to force us to become peaceful in some utopia will divide our planet and cause mass slaughter," the Prince told her.

"So, it's either hunt or kill yourselves?" Lex clarified.

"That is our nature. That is now your nature. Have you not felt the rush of the hunt, the violent aggression that runs through you, and the euphoria of a kill?" the Prince asked.

"Not really," Lex said truthfully.

The Prince simply stared at her. "You require encouragement to hunt?"

"My Elder had to force me into situations to get me to do anything," Lex admitted.

The dinner had nearly concluded as the guards chewed on bones. Lex couldn't help herself and ate until she was full. "Leave us," the Prince said to his guards when the dinner had ended. The table was a mess with food scraps scattered about.

"If what you say is true, then you must be examined. Your brain will be scanned by our instruments. It will not be invasive," the Prince told her.

"You think I'm sick?" Lex asked alarmed.

"I don't know, but you are proving to be more interesting," the Prince said. "You will retire to your chamber and will be escorted by my guards in the morning," the Prince said and then left the room.

As she exited the dining hall, she was escorted by six guards to her room. She felt like a prisoner as the guards made sure she entered her room. The door was then locked.

* * *

The next morning, Lex was brought before the Prince by six guards. "This way," he said to her. Lex found herself in the hospital wing of the pyramid. She was placed in a specific spot, and then a device scanned around her entire head a few times. The Prince waited for a few moments as the computer scanned her brain. When it was finished, it stopped moving.

The Prince then sat in front of a large computer screen. It was a red screen with Yautja text. The brain scan located the universal translator in Lex's brain. "One of the signs I knew you were not Yautja when we first met was your accent and use of formal language. At first, I thought you were just flattering me but then you used a formal tone in every sentence; an indication you were not a native speaker," the Prince said.

The computer then gave the Prince more text and diagrams of Lex's brain. Two brains appeared on the screen; one had more red spots and the other had darker regions. "Observe the screen. The brain with dark spots is yours. Large sections of your brain are dormant," the Prince said.

"Is that bad?" Lex asked ignorantly.

"It was probably a security precaution. If you had been given full use of your faculties, your psyche wouldn't have been able to handle it. Right now, you are using the same amount of brain function as that of a human. Very interesting," the Prince said amused.

"You're saying I'm dumb?" Lex asked frustrated.

"You are the dumbest female Yautja in existence. We have transformed humans before, but they had different brain activity than yours," the Prince said.

"Probably because you transformed sociopaths," Lex said scornfully.

"Most likely," the Prince admitted.

"So, what does this mean?" Lex asked.

"It means that the predatory instinct isn't functional in your brain. Nor is the breeding instinct either. With the proper stimulation, I could make that part of the brain function," the Prince considered.

"Do you have to?" Lex asked fearfully.

"It will be painless," he said.

"I want to still be me," Lex objected.

The Prince stared at her. "It has been discussed whether we would have to hunt if we could simply shut down the predator instinct. Doing so is considered an abomination under the law, but your case could provide a new argument. No, you will not be modified," the Prince told her.

Lex felt relieved. "I can't stimulate that which gives us greater intelligence without threatening to turn on the predator instinct. You will have to remain a stupid female for the time being." the Prince said.

"Thanks," Lex replied lamely.

The Prince then escorted Lex to the equipment room. Inside the room were a number of weapons she hadn't seen before. "You will come with me on the hunt. Strip completely," he ordered.

Lex sighed and took off her metallic-looking bra, and a red sash around her waist. "What now?" Lex asked completely naked.

"I don't sense any embarrassment, shame, or anxiety from you. You don't see your body as your own skin," the Prince observed.

Lex realized she was being tested. "You are so defective…it is interesting to me," the Prince said to her.

The Royal Guards cloaked and disappeared into the forest leaving the Prince and Lex behind. "Follow me," the Prince ordered Lex.

The two walked casually through the forest with the Prince pointing out the different species of the planet. Lex could see plants that existed in the rainforests of the Amazon, Central Africa, and Southeast Asia. Occasionally, the Prince would point out species of birds and small mammals commonly associated with the Earth rainforests.

Despite her feelings, Lex was impressed by the size of the preserve. As the vegetation became tougher to move through, the Prince superheated his blades with his targeting lasers and then cut through it with ease. While they walked, Lex couldn't help but assume she was being watched. It was probably true with the Royal Guard keeping an eye on her.

The Prince suddenly motioned for her stop moving and then pointed forward. There was a creature Lex was not familiar with; an odd combination of zebra and deer. "What is it? A genetic experiment of yours?" Lex asked.

He stared at her and shook his head. "It is called an Okapi," he said.

The Prince then took hold of his bow and set an arrow. He carefully placed the arrow into position and aimed at the creature. The Okapi seemed blissfully unaware of the two hunters. The Prince shot the arrow hitting the Okapi in the heart. The beast fell to the ground and stopped moving.

The Royal Guard then decloaked around the kill and carried it away. Lex had suspected the Royal Guard was always around but had no confirmation until now. "What makes one a Prince?" Lex asked curiously.

"I am one of the hundreds born from the King of our homeworld. There are Princes that are adopted into the family, but they do not have the same rank as me. Naturally, the children of Princes are Princes as well," the Prince said.

"Are you first in line to the throne?" Lex pressed.

The Prince stared at her. "I am content with my position in the family," he replied vaguely.

"Are royal females different than normal females?" Lex continued.

"In my experience, royal females are too prideful and useless. However, my wives are humble," the Prince said.

"What is your secret?" Lex asked almost amused.

"I collected them from among the common and among the outcasts. I desire the greatest diversity in genetics for my wives. Unlike your human royals who inbred themselves into diseased states, I desire the greatest diversity," the Prince said.

He then got closer to Lex as if looking her over. "And your genetics intrigues me."

A sudden explosion that ripped through the forest interrupted them. The Prince scanned for the disturbance and saw plasma bursts in the distance. His Royal Guards had engaged Black Yautja foes. The Royal Guard was armed with plasma cannons, plasma rifles, grenades, and long-range blades.

"Let us depart from this place," the Prince said to Lex.

The Prince casually walked towards an open clearing. A Black Yautja decloaked in front of them. Neither the Prince nor Lex were heavily armed. The whole point of the hunting trip was to hunt like past generations. "Stay behind me," the Prince ordered Lex.

The Black Yautja activated his plasma cannon and fired on the Prince. The plasma burst hurled itself towards the Prince but suddenly extinguished itself a foot from the Prince. The Black Yautja growled as if he were surprised. He fired on the Prince again but the same result occurred. A shield of some sort prevented the burst from hitting the Prince.

With the failure of his plasma cannon, the Black Yautja charged the Prince. The Prince set up his bow and fired on the Black Yautja. The arrow struck the Black Yautja's gut, but it didn't seem to affect it. The Black Yautja roared in annoyance and then broke the arrow off.

"Do you have something better?" Lex asked the Prince.

"Patience," the Prince said to her.

The Black Yautja took another step and then stopped. He fell to his knees and tore off his mask. He spat out green blood onto the ground. Lex could see the Black Yautja's gut turning from yellowish to rotten black. The Black Yautja's abdomen suddenly opened up dumping gore onto the forest floor. The Black Yautja roared in pain and fell to the ground dead.

"What just happened?" Lex asked stunned.

"An acidic arrow, which I have in plentiful supply," the Prince said.

The Prince and Lex moved back towards the pyramid. The Royal Guard was retreating towards the pyramid with explosions in the distance. The Prince and Lex casually walked down the bridge towards the pyramid and went inside.

"Casualty report?" the Prince requested.

"One killed and one injured," the squad leader reported.

"The remains of a Black Yautja are in a field. It shall be recovered and attributed to the slain," the Prince said.

The squad leader pounded his chest and left the room. The Prince then went to this throne in an observation deck on an upper floor. As the Black Yautja approached, they fired on the pyramid from a distance. The plasma bursts caused the stone to burst apart and explode.

The Prince calmly activated controls on his armchair. Plasma cannons the size of a 50 cal machine gun extended outside the pyramid and became positioned toward the small Black Yautja army. The Prince then clicked another button with his clawed finger. The plasma cannons fired on the Black Yautja army instantly creating a forest fire. The beams exploded anything they touched including Black Yautja opponents. In desperation, the Black Yautja cloaked themselves but the plasma cannons fired randomly into the forest. Even those in cloak would occasionally get hit killing them.

The Prince waited a few minutes and then punched a control ending the firing. "Damage report," the Prince ordered.

Royal Guard moved around the pyramid inspecting the damage to the pyramid. "Damage is minimal," the squad leader reported.

"Only a little longer yet," the Prince muttered.

The Prince noticed Lex staring with a confused expression. "Come. You should see this."

* * *

The Prince and Lex went into an elevator and went down to the basement level. Inside the basement were tanks as far as Lex could see. The entire base of the pyramid was filled with hundreds of tanks. Lex peered into the tanks and immediately something suctioned itself towards her. She realized in horror that the tanks were all filled with Xenomorph face-huggers.

Lex turned back to the Prince with a stupefied expression. "The perfect biological weapon against the Black Yautja. All invasions of their homeworld have failed. All of our blockades have failed. Our ability to contain them has been fruitless and with every generation, they grow more numerous. We are on the verge of losing this moon," the Prince explained.

"Do you know what these things are capable of?" Lex asked.

"I know exactly what they are capable of. They will eradicate the Black Yautja once and for all. When I am ready, these Xenomorphs will be let loose on their home planet," the Prince said.

"And what if we are attacked, and they are let loose here?" Lex asked unconvinced.

"The Xenomorphs will eradicate all life on this moon but that is a small consequence to pay," the Prince said.

"It's not just about this moon. What if the Black Yautja find these things and then use them against other planets?" Lex protested.

"That will never happen. A self-destruct system will kill them all if this floor is ever breached," the Prince said confidently.

"I don't think you are aware of how difficult it is to kill these things," Lex argued.

"Walk with me," the Prince requested of her.

They walked up some stairs to the next level of the pyramid to the Prince's trophy room. The Prince turned on the lights and Lex immediately could see the entire wall dedicated to Xenomorph trophies. There were fifty Xenomorph skulls lined up in rows. Some of the Xenomorphs were shaped a little differently, but they all had the same familiar shape.

Lex pointed to her forehead. "I never received the mark, because I didn't kill any of these on an authorized hunting trip. As a Prince, it was not required of me to 'Come of age'."

The Prince then walked over to a compartment filled with metallic orbs. "The metal is Durimet, a metal resistant to Xenomorph acid. All of my weapons and armor are based on it," the Prince explained.

Lex scanned the assortment of weapons made from the metal. There were staffs, wrist blades, shuriken blades, projectile blades, and knives. There were also masks, plasma cannons, breastplates, and elbow and knee pads made from the same metal. "Why don't the others have this kind of metal?"

"There are limited resources and intelligence among us. I have studied these creatures, and I am the authority on how to kill them as well as how to unleash them," the Prince said.

Four Royal Guards entered the room holding a metallic table. On the table was an unconscious injured Black Yautja. The Prince and Lex looked over the body, as it was lowered to the floor. The Black Yautja's legs were blasted off as well as an arm. There were tourniquets just above the stumps to keep him alive.

"It appears we have a willing test subject," the Prince said pleased.

Lex followed the Prince and his Royal Guards to the floor below. "Bring that one," the Prince ordered referring to a face-huger.

The Royal Guards carefully brought the tank over to the subject. The Prince placed his mask over his face and motioned for Lex to do the same. The face-huger was dumped out of the container and was immediately caught in a net. The face-huger was then positioned over the Black Yautja's face, and then its tail wrapped around its neck tightly.

"Good. Now, move him outside the perimeter. He will cry for help, and his comrades will be honor-bound to receive him," the Prince ordered.

There was a sudden clink of metal forcing the Prince and his Royal Guard to take heed. Lex had her blades outstretched. "I can't let you do this. I have seen what comes out of those things," Lex said.

The Royal Guard was about to sack Lex but the Prince kept them at bay. "Your concern has been noted but there is a chain of command that must be followed," the Prince reasoned.

"I don't care who you are. You can't use those things as a weapon. You won't be able to control them," Lex said.

"Are you going to kill me?" the Prince asked.

"I will if you don't step aside," Lex said boldly.

The Prince turned to the severely injured Black Yautja with the face-hugger firmly planted on his face. "So, you are going to kill him then?" the Prince asked.

Lex thought about what she was doing. She would have to kill the Black Yautja; maybe by slashing its throat or a stab to the heart. It wasn't a person; it was a beast. Lex advanced forward towards the Black Yautja. At the last moment, two Royal Guards decloaked and held Lex firmly in place. The Prince took a stunner and sent a jolt of electricity through her. Lex's knees felt weak, and she fell to the ground.

"The difference between us is our imagination," the Prince said to her and then motioned to his Royal Guard to relocate the Black Yautja.


	10. The Mutant

Lex awoke to find herself in her bedroom. She didn't remember what had happened at first, but her memories soon returned to her. She cursed the Prince in her mind and opened the door. She walked down some hallways until she found the Prince eating at a table while watching a video screen.

"Do you know what you have done?" Lex asked angrily.

"Due to the circumstances upon which you are here, I find your presence very amusing. However, your tone with me is most inappropriate," the Prince scolded.

"I don't care. You have one of those things out there. It's probably already hatched," Lex argued.

"I am sure it has. I have equipment and weapons on how to kill Xenomorphs. Our Black Yautja opponents do not and that gives me the advantage," the Prince said confidently.

"Once all the Black Yautja are dead, the entire moon will be infested. There are humans on the moon too that can be infested," Lex pointed out.

"I am well aware of what the Xenomorphs are capable of. They can infest Yautja, humans, and other animal life forms. I don't think you have an appreciation for the difficulty of winning this war," the Prince said. He then showed a hologram map showing positions on the moon.

"As you can see from the map, we control only isolated areas of the moon. We have also lost air support. We will not receive any new reinforcements until the homeworld has confidence we can win the war on the ground. If you want to set foot on Earth again, then you should hope my plan succeeds," the Prince explained.

"I promised Royce and Isabelle they would be safe," Lex said frustrated.

"That is not a promise anyone can make on this moon," the Prince replied.

The pyramid shook lightly as plasma bursts hit the side. The Prince was drinking tea as the attacks began. Anti-aircraft guns installed in the pyramid fired on the Black Yautja ship. The barrage of fire overwhelmed the Black Yautja ship, and it quickly exploded across the sky.

On occasion, a few Yautja would come to the pyramid seeking shelter and supplies. The Prince was generous to the battle-weary Yautja. The Prince made it clear that Lex was off-limits and belonged to him. Lex was sent off to the medical ward of the pyramid so that she could aid the Prince's doctor.

"Put pressure here," the doctor ordered.

Lex did as she was told; the light green blood stained her hands. The doctor used a laser of some kind to cut into the Yautja's shoulder. He was looking for the source of the bleeding. Upon finding it, he realized a number of arteries and veins had been slashed open. The doctor then used a clamp to try to keep the bleeding down, but it was too late. The Yautja was started to ooze dark green blood from his wounds; a device monitoring the heart rate was starting to beep.

The doctor grabbed two triangle devices that were red in the center. He attached them to the chest of the Yautja and charged it. The resulting electrical charge jolted the body but the heart rate had not changed. Lex watched in fascination as the doctor failed to revive him.

"I'm sorry," Lex said lamely.

"With every death is an opportunity," the doctor said. "We shall now begin the autopsy."

Lex watched across from the doctor, as he peeled the skin off the chest of the Yautja. The doctor knew Yautja anatomy very well so the autopsy was for Lex's benefit. With the skin peeled back, Lex could see the powerful muscles underneath. The doctor went deeper exposing the sternum and rib cage. Lex could see that the heart and the lungs of the Yautja were larger than a human.

The doctor collected a green blood sample and then placed the blood on a medical table. "Feel it," the doctor ordered her.

Lex reluctantly put her finger in the blood and felt it slide on the medical table. The doctor then waited a few seconds and then pointed to the blood again. "Feel it now," he ordered.

Lex felt it for a second time, but it was different from before. It was like a thick gel or green jello. Lex turned to the doctor confused. "Our blood binds quickly, so we don't bleed long," the doctor explained.

Lex understood; it was the reason why Yautja could survive after getting hit with several bullets. "His wounds were too many," the doctor pointed at the body.

The doctor continued his autopsy showing Lex the organ systems of the Yautja. The abdomen muscles of the Yautja were an extra level of protection to the vital organs. It was a tough stringy material that seemed resistant to stabbing or projectiles. The doctor finally peeled away the muscle groups and showed the organs. They were fairly similar to that of humans only larger. There were a few organs that were additional to humans namely an organ specifically designed to quickly heal the Yautja. The adrenal glands were slightly larger than in humans proportionately.

The doctor then used a laser to open the Yautja's skull. The brain was green in color but was similar in characteristics to a human. It had many folds within the brain and was clearly divided into two hemispheres. The brain was twice the size of a human brain and had the potential to heal itself. After the doctor was finished, he placed the body in a containment cell.

"We can use his organs and limbs if called upon," the doctor told her.

"You can take his limbs, and attach them to someone else?" Lex wondered.

"Of course. Even human doctors are able to do so now," the doctor replied.

Lex stared at the doctor. "You know?"

"Everyone close to the Prince knows," he said. "Every Yautja has gone through an autopsy during their schooling."

"Can I ask a few questions then?" Lex asked hoping she would not irk the doctor.

"Ask and I may answer," the doctor allowed.

"What is pregnancy like? How long does it last?" she asked.

"It lasts fifteen months. I can't give you an accurate comparison between humans and Yautja. I would surmise that an unborn Yautja will be more aggressive in the womb," the doctor said.

"So, females don't lay eggs?" Lex clarified.

The doctor simply stared at her. "No, Yautja have live births. We are more similar to Earth mammals than reptiles. We have live births, we are warm-blooded, we have hair, and the females have mammary glands. We evolved from an ancestor that could be described as reptilian millions of years ago. Once our civilization gained space flight tens of thousands of years ago, our species has evolved in different directions. On some colonies the females are actually larger than the males," the doctor explained.

"And the Black Yautja?" Lex asked.

"That was not natural evolution but artificially produced by using genetic manipulation," the doctor said scornfully.

"What kinds of illnesses should I look out for?" Lex asked.

"Like what?" the doctor wondered.

"Like cancer?" Lex suggested.

"Yautja are inspected every year for cancers and other ailments. In most cases, we are able to cure the disease without difficulty. Those who have terminal illnesses tend to go on the highest level hunts," the doctor said.

"Can you tell me the health of the Prince?" Lex asked.

The doctor stared at Lex for a moment and then decided to push some buttons on a computer console. A red hologram of a Yautja's body was displayed in front of them. "This Yautja is in perfect health with above intelligence. No family history of disease or genetic defects. I would suspect that such things would have been eliminated from the gene pool long ago," the doctor speculated.

"What would happen if my DNA mixed with his?" Lex asked.

The doctor understood her meaning. He did a computer simulation of the two genetic codes. "There are so many combinations that could occur," the doctor considered.

"But it is possible to mix?" Lex asked.

"Yes, it could with this specific Yautja," the doctor said and then turned off the hologram.

The Prince and some of his royal guards entered the room. "You learn something?" he asked her.

"Yes, the doctor was a good teacher," Lex replied.

"Good," the Prince said and then turned to the doctor. "I will have a new specimen for you. One that has never been dissected before."

"I eagerly await it," the doctor said graciously.

The Prince then exited the room with his guards. "Whatever he asks of you, do not refuse," the doctor advised her.

* * *

On his throne and with Lex at his side, a scout came forth. He bowed before the throne before giving his report. "A hybrid was discovered," the scout said handing his mask to the Prince.

The Prince placed the mask on his face and saw the video recordings in various imaging scans. The new Hybrid was taller and heavier than the one on Earth. Once he was done with the mask, the Prince handed it over to Lex. "What is the Hybrid doing?" the Prince asked.

"It appears to be attacking the human fighters and laying embryos inside them directly. There are a number of human bodies with exploded chest cavities," the scout reported.

"This is not too surprising. The humans are weaker prey," the Prince considered.

"I thought this thing was supposed to kill the Black Yautja," Lex said outraged.

The Prince took the mask and gave it back to the scout. "Leave us."

The Prince then turned to Lex. "The Hybrid will have a greater probability of success with a squad of Xenomorphs when confronting the Black Yautja."

"Or the Xenomorphs will kill all of the humans, and then get slaughtered by the Black Yautja," Lex replied.

"That is a risk I am willing to take," the Prince said dismissively.

Lex decided to take another approach. She knelt down before the Prince. "I will give you whatever you want if you stop this," she offered.

"You cannot offer what I already have," the Prince replied.

Lex stared at the Prince angrily and then reached for his throat with her right hand. The Prince grabbed her wrist keeping her in place with the left hand and with his right wrist slashed her across the chest. Lex didn't feel any pain, but she did feel her armor slip off her. The Prince retracted his blades and watched as Lex's armored bra fell off her. Still holding her wrist, he used his right hand to cup, push, and pull her exposed left breast within a few seconds. He then released her from his hold. Lex fell to the ground stunned, as she felt a rush of hormones flood her body. The Prince watched in amusement, as Lex could barely think. She had never felt that kind of stimulation before. She could barely move or make a coherent thought.

"Go to your quarters and change," the Prince told her.

Humiliated and defeated Lex quickly left the room. The Prince turned to his guard nearby. "A normal female would have been able to maintain herself," the guard commented.

"Indeed, this female never ceases to amuse me," the Prince said.

* * *

Royce and Isabelle walked through the jungles of the preserve aimlessly. They were both low on ammunition and since their release was light on water and food. Suddenly, there was movement in the brush.

"Lower your weapons," a camouflaged soldier ordered. He had an M-4 rifle pointed at them. There were four other soldiers pointing assault rifles in their direction.

Isabelle immediately lowered her weapon, but Royce hesitated briefly. "We're US military personnel. Lower your weapon," one of them said.

Royce complied and allowed the group to come closer to them. "Where are you two from?' the leader asked them.

"Kansas," Royce smirked sarcastically.

"Israel Defense Forces," Isabelle said cooperatively and then showed a military ID.

"The fact you have survived this long indicates to me that you must have some military experience. Care to share," the leader asked Royce.

"Nope," Royce refused.

The leader nodded in annoyance. "My name is Staff Sergeant Patterson, this is Specialist Thompson, this is Sergeant O'Connor, this is Private Holmes, and this is Specialist Rodriguez," the Staff Sergeant pointed out.

"When we got here, we figured we were transported to India or something. But then we saw the moons and the planet. Any of you care to explain?" Patterson asked.

"We're on an alien moon. This is a game preserve, and we are being hunted by aliens with superior weapons. The game preserve is to look like Earth, but we are not on Earth. The only way off this planet is to take one of the alien's ships," Isabelle explained.

"Have you seen the aliens? What are their capabilities?" Patterson asked.

"They have cloaking technology to make themselves invisible, energy weapons, blades, and armor. They are heavier, stronger, and more durable than us," Royce piped up.

"Glad you could join the conversation," Patterson stared at Royce.

"What do you have?" Isabelle asked breaking the silence.

"We have M-4 rifles, two hundred rounds of ammunition each, two grenades each, a day's water, bulletproof vests and Kevlar, night vision goggles, and each of us has a knife," Patterson listed off.

"Well prepared," Isabelle complimented.

"We have to be when in Afghanistan. We are an infantry unit and just before we got here we were searching for the enemy. Once we got here, we had to stain all of our uniforms with green slime and dirt," Patterson explained.

"That isn't going to help. They see using heat vision," Royce said.

"Well, I think we can take care of ourselves. We've already killed one of them," Thompson said proudly.

"What do you mean?" Isabelle asked.

"Nothing I have ever seen before. It was in the trees; all black and it had a long tail. It kind of looked like a big snake or a lizard. Anyway, when we shot that thing its blood dissolved everything around it. We didn't stick around," Thompson detailed.

"That isn't one of them," Royce said dismissively.

"Then what was it?" Rodriguez asked.

"Can you take us to the body?" Isabelle asked.

"Sure, but if we go anywhere it will be by my rules. Create a team file; I will be team leader. Sergeant O'Connor will be Alpha team leader, and Specialist Thompson will be Bravo team leader. Let's have Isabelle in front as our sniper and Royce as our acting Saw," Patterson ordered.

"Any problem with that?" Patterson asked.

"No problem at all," Royce smirked.

"Good, let's move," Patterson ordered.

As they moved through the forest, the infantrymen looked back and forth with their rifles for any movement. Patterson moved up close to Isabelle for a word. "Tell me about Royce," he asked.

"He's a mercenary. That's all I know," she said truthfully.

"We're both in the military, and you know the importance of group cohesion," he said.

"I know."

"If he ditches us or goes against any of my orders, I will not hesitate to shoot him and take his weapon," Patterson said.

"Understood."

* * *

"You summoned me?" Lex asked annoyed.

"Come and take a seat," the Prince offered her. Only the seat was beside his throne and not an actual chair.

There was a red visual screen in front of them. The video was the visual recordings of the three Yautja on Antarctica. "I had been waiting for this for some time. Does it bring back memories?" the Prince asked.

"Some I wish to forget," Lex muttered.

The Prince showed no emotion as the first Yautja was killed. "You must always be aware of your surroundings. He paid too much attention to you than greater threats," the Prince said.

Lex stared at the Prince. "I am aware of what you looked like before your change," he told her. "From my point of view, it is a vast improvement."

Lex said nothing to that. The Prince then viewed the battle between the second Yautja and the Xenomorph. The battle was not as one-sided as before, but still, the Yautja lost. "When fighting the Xenomorph, one must have armor that can sustain the acid of the blood. The equipment they used was cheap," the Prince commented.

Another scene showed a brief interruption in the video. "That must have been the time when the Xenomorph implanted the egg," the Prince figured.

"I didn't see it happen," Lex shrugged.

"A disappointing performance but that is to be expected from youths," the Prince said dismissively.

"You saying you could do better?" Lex challenged.

The Prince ignored her. "I noticed how you fought that Yautja in your human form. That was quite brave."

A Royal Guard entered the room and addressed the Prince. "He is ready."

"Good. Let us see him," the Prince said.

* * *

Lex followed the Prince to lower levels of the pyramid. There were some animals from various planets in cells. It was similar to a low-class zoo or prison. As the Prince walked down the halls, Royal Guards gave him equipment for him to put on. The Prince quickly put on wrist blades, shoulder blades, a plasma cannon, and other devices on the sides of his legs. The Prince then stopped, as he approached the right cell. Lex peered inside.

It was a very large Yautja staring back at her. He was massive; even larger than the Black Yautja. But the most unusual part was his arms; there were four of them. "It seems the female has kept him calm," the Prince joked.

"Why does he have four arms?" Lex asked curiously.

"Just like humans, there are mutations from time to time. Someone of my stature has access to these fine specimens," the Prince explained.

"What are you going to do with him?" Lex asked fearfully.

"I am going to unleash him. He will hunt down the strongest foe which will be our Black Yautja friends," the Prince told her. He then turned to his guards. "Bring him to the field."

The Prince placed diamonds on the walls of the hallway, which created red lines in the air. If the mutant tried to get at the Prince or Lex, he would be sliced to pieces. The mutant was detained by the Royal Guards and had his arms bound.

The Royal Guard escorted the mutant to the outside on the field. The Royal Guard then deactivated the binds and then placed red beams on the mutant. If the mutant did anything threatening, he would be hit from several directions at once. "Arm the mutant with blades," the Prince ordered.

The Royal Guard placed blades on the mutant's four arms and then stood a distance away while keeping red beams on him. "You are free to go," the Prince told the mutant.

The mutant gave the Prince a look and then ran off into the forest. The Prince then turned to Lex. "I disapprove," was all she said.

The Prince eyed her for any indication she would try to fight him. "Begin tracking the mutant," he ordered.

* * *

The US Army infantry unit slowly moved through the forest looking in all directions, and occasionally taking a kneeling position among the brush. A mechanical glider suddenly darted through the air. Royce aimed his shotgun and fired on the device. The other infantrymen fired as well blasting the device to bits.

"You gave away our position," Patterson said displeased.

"They already know we're here. It's a tracking device," Royce explained.

"He's right," Isabelle said backing him up.

"If the enemy already knows we're here then we need to move," Patterson ordered.

Meanwhile, a man wearing a scarf around his head looked up to the sky. He was out of place on this moon. He did not recognize the large gas giant and the moons orbiting nearby. Instead of the mountains and desert, he saw rainforest. He was armed with an AK-47 automatic rifle. His comrades were nearby dressed in white robes designed to keep out the sand. They were armed with AK-47 rifles, primitive explosives, an RPG launcher, and long knives.

"What direction should we pray brother," one of them asked him in, Dari.

"As long as we all pray in the same direction, Allah will be merciful to us," he replied.

"What should we do now?" he was asked.

"We must find a way to get back home. Our families need us," he said.

"Are we in Hell?" another asked. "Or Heaven?"

The thought had occurred to him, but he dismissed it. He took a knife and lightly cut his hand. "We are still alive," he said showing them his wounded hand.

* * *

Black Yautja hunting dogs sped into the forest looking for prey. They stopped for a moment and sniffed around. Black blurs suddenly grabbed a hold of them and quickly tore into them. The beasts fought back with their horns but the Xenomorphs adapted quickly. Within a few moments, the Xenomorphs had used their tails to trip the beasts or slice into them. Using their second mandibles, they slashed into their heads. One beast attempted to escape but was quickly surrounded by Xenomorphs. The Xenomorphs did not attack but waited for one of their own to arrive. A Xenomorph face huger was on its back. The face-huger leaped off the Xenomorphs back and landed on the beast's face. Its tail wrapped around the beast's neck strangling it until it fell unconscious. The Xenomorphs then fed on the dead beasts and waited for one of their own to spring from the remaining beast.

There was a whistle but none of the beasts returned. Curious, the Black Yautja arrived on the scene and examined the remaining beast. Confused by the manner in which their beasts were killed, the Black Yautja carried the remaining beast away. The Xenomorphs hiding in the trees and in the tall grass watched intently as the Black Yautja walked away. Despite their cloak, the Xenomorphs could smell them out.

* * *

The Prince watched intently, as the mutant gained ground in the forest. The Prince had been tracking the mutant's movements the moment he was freed. Rarely did the mutant stay in one place for too long. Lex entered the room interrupting the Prince's thoughts.

"What are your thoughts?" the Prince asked.

"I'm bored," Lex admitted.

"I could make your stay here more pleasurable," the Prince offered.

"Not what I meant…," Lex muttered.

"I know. You want to save your precious humans. The Black Yautja ship you brought back to us had some interesting files," the Prince said as the video screen switched.

Lex watched behind the Prince as the video began. It was Royce in an isolated area of Africa. The two watched, as Royce fired upon other mercenaries, security personnel and then completely wiped out the civilian population before killing his target. The video showed Royce hunting men down the same way a Yautja would hunt down a human. After a half-hour of watching the carnage, Lex turned away from the screen.

"How is your kind any different. You slaughter yourselves in blood feuds that have lasted for centuries. How is this any different than your fight with the Black Yautja," Lex accused.

"The difference is that every Yautja volunteered to be on this moon. We do not kill females and the young, and we certainly do not do so for profit. Let go of your attachment to humanity. There are virtuous humans and virtuous Yautja and there are evil humans and evil Yautja," the Prince said.

"Well, your kind should know better. You have existed much longer than humanity," Lex said lamely.

The Prince chuckled at that with clicks. "After this war has ended on this moon and the blockade has ended, I have a proposal for you."

"What kind of proposal?" Lex wondered suspiciously.

"I can give you the drug to temporarily change you back, but in return, you must bring me the skull of an evil man. A man that has slaughtered humans in terrorist attacks, a man who is a serial rapist, or a man who kills women and children for money. You can help to make your world a better place, and in return, I can give you what you want," the Prince offered.

"I am not an executioner," Lex objected.

"Do you fear you will lose yourself? When a human kills, his brain chemistry changes to the point of madness. Yautja brains are immune to disorders of the brain like post-traumatic stress syndrome. I could kill thousands of sentient beings and come home to my family. No matter how many you kill, you will always be who you are," the Prince said.

Lex was undecided on the subject and the Prince knew it. "Do we have a deal?"

* * *

During the night, three Black Yautja set up camp. Their hunting beast was whining and moaning throughout the night. The Black Yautja used rocks filled with chemicals to start a small fire, so they could cook meat. Suddenly, the Xenomorph inside the beast exploded from the chest. The Black Yautja turned their plasma cannons on the Xenomorphs but couldn't see it.

The three Black Yautja looked around but saw nothing with their infrared. They then switched their vision scanners only to discover a dozen Xenomorphs had snuck up on them. Before they could move, Xenomorphs tackled two of the Black Yautja. The leader was put in a stranglehold by the Hybrid. The Black Yautja was dwarfed by the Hybrid's massive size. It was a foot taller and significantly heavier. The leader struggled but was stabbed through by the Hybrid's tail. One of the dying Black Yautja attempted to charge his self-destruction device but Xenomorph acid deactivated it.

Throughout the night, Black Yautja parties were being attacked. The Xenomorphs could not be detected by infrared giving them a distinct advantage. The Black Yautja had no expectation of fighting Xenomorphs and were taken by surprise in every engagement.

* * *

Lex hesitated to answer. "My Prince, there is Black Yautja activity," a Royal Guard interrupted.

The Prince turned to his computer screen. Several Black Yautja ships were moving about in the atmosphere and then firing on the ground indiscriminately. The Prince then tracked the location of the mutant, but he was not in the general area. The Black Yautja ships were trying to find something else.

"The Xenomorphs are hunting as planned," the Prince said pleased.

The Prince then turned to his Royal Guard. "Prepare for a Xenomorph hunt," he ordered. He then turned to Lex. "We are going to do some scouting. You will come with me."

Lex reluctantly followed the Prince to one of his chambers. He stripped down to nothing except a belt around his waist. This didn't visually impress Lex due to her poor vision. He then covered himself completely in a black armor that still allowed him to move. He attached wrist blades, two plasma cannons on his shoulders, a cloaking device, and other equipment that he attached to his armored legs that were all made of durimet. His mask was covered in Xenomorph flesh with durimet metal underneath. The suit was acid-resistant and hid the Prince's temperature readings.

The Prince pointed out Lex's modified armor that had been newly constructed. Once she was done, she was in the female version of the suit. The Royal Guards assembled in identical suits. "Our mission is to scout. We will not win this war in a single night. Do not kill the Xenomorphs unless you absolutely have to. Do not engage the humans unless they fire upon you," the Prince ordered.

"Let's move," the Prince ordered.

The Royal Guard enthusiastically moved down the halls towards the open field. Despite their confidence, Lex felt nervous heading into a big fight. As they exited the pyramid, they activated their cloaking devices. Inside their masks, they could see their positions on a short-range map in the form of a motion detector.

"Switch to EM-Field Generator," the Prince ordered.

Lex used her mind to switch from infrared to the new vision. Everything appeared green like night vision goggles. When everyone was set, the Yautja took off into a run through the forest. Lex's new biology made it possible for her to keep up with the others at a speed of 10 mph consistently.

* * *

Meanwhile, the Taliban fighters considered the Black Yautja ships firing into the forest. "Are those American gunships?" one of them asked.

"I do not think so but if we strike it down we may learn something from it. Ghazan: bring it down," Salar ordered.

Ghazan carefully aimed his RPG and fired. The rocket went straight for the ship and hit one of the wings. The engine and the wing exploded, and the ship fell to the ground in an explosion. The Taliban fighters were excited, but Salar kept them silent.

"We go forth," he ordered his men.

Private Holmes was on watch in the trees when the Black Yautja ship was hit. He immediately climbed down and informed Patterson. "I saw an explosion in the sky, and I think it was an RPG," Holmes reported.

"Between you and me, I think someone is fucking with us. I bet they brought us both here," Patterson considered.

"They bring the best killers to this moon. They don't care what side you're on," Royce whispered.

"It could be our way home," Isabelle suggested.

"Okay, we move towards the ship. Sergeant O'Connor will be our map guy," Patterson ordered.

* * *

The Prince noticed the down ship with some curiosity inside his mask. Had Xenomorphs found their way into the ships? That was not part of the plan for the Xenomorphs to escape the moon. Suddenly, a Black Yautja decloaked, as he was hit with a Xenomorph.

The Prince waited as the Xenomorph and the Black Yautja fought. The Black Yautja sliced at the Xenomorph only to find his blades dissolved. He eventually used his plasma cannon to blast the Xenomorph but some of the acid got on his armor. The Prince fired from his two wrists; plasma bursts hit the Black Yautja like machine gunfire. The Black Yautja was punctured a dozen times and fell to the ground dead.

Another Black Yautja hit the Prince with a plasma burst, but it dissolved a foot from the Prince. Royal Guards fired on a Black Yautja killing him immediately. A Xenomorph darted towards them but the Prince fired a net on it. The Xenomorph was pinned against a tree. A Royal Guard was about to stab it through with a spear but the Prince stopped him.

"Keep them alive for now," the Prince ordered.

* * *

The Taliban fighters approached the damaged Black Yautja ship. With their AK-47s ready, they slowly walked up to the ship. An injured Black Yautja staggered out of the ship. The Taliban stared in amazement as the Black Yautja limped away from the ship.

The Taliban opened fire blasting the alien with powerful caliber bullets. The Black Yautja fell to the ground dead before he realized who had hit him. The Taliban then stood over the Black Yautja body in wonder.

There was a sudden noise, as the US infantry unit cautiously approached the crash site. The Taliban immediately turned their weapons on the US infantry with Ghazan pointing a fresh RPG at the Americans. The two sides shouted at each other to put their weapons down; neither understood the other. Finally, Salar ordered his men to lower their weapons.

"I speak English," Salar said with a strong accent.

The Americans considered what to do, but Patterson eventually came forth. "My name is Staff Sergeant Patterson of the United States Army."

"My name is Salar, and I am a Taliban commander," Salar said.

"I say we take them out, Sergeant. They can't shoot shit even at this range," Specialist Rodriguez suggested.

Salar took out what looked like a cell phone out of his robes. "If anything happens, one of us will detonate killing us all."

"Cool it, Rodriguez," Patterson ordered. Patterson then turned to the Taliban commander. "I think we were both taken off the battlefield to this place as some sick joke. Someone wants us to fight each other like a game," Patterson theorized.

"Who is that someone?" Salar wondered while pointing out the dead Black Yautja.

Patterson stared into the darkness and saw the dead alien. "Is this the right one?" Patterson asked Isabelle.

"Yes, these are the ones that sent us here," Isabelle confirmed.

Salar twitched upon hearing Isabelle. "You are an Israeli. That accent is unmistakable," he said with malice.

Isabelle simply stared at Salar and hoped she hadn't indirectly caused a firefight. "That's right. Israeli Defense Forces," Isabelle admitted.

"You're a sniper," Salar guessed upon seeing her weapon.

"Right again," Isabelle smirked.

"How many Palestinians did you kill with it?" Salar accused.

"I didn't keep count," Isabelle shot back.

"We should see whether the ship is functional," Royce interrupted.

"Salar and I will go into the ship; Sergeant O'Connor: if I don't return in thirty minutes move everyone back. You're in charge now," Patterson ordered.

The two entered the ship and looked around for any enemy combatants. "Seen anything like this?" Patterson asked Salar.

"Never in my life," he replied.

The console that appeared to be flight computers were damaged from the crash. "Looks smashed to bits," Patterson observed.

"I have found something," Salar said opening a compartment.

Inside were plasma rifles and a number of other bladed weapons. When Patterson and Salar returned, the men went into the ship and took all the weapons. When everything had been taken from the ship, Patterson ordered the group to move to another location to establish a camp.

* * *

The Prince, Lex, and some Royal Guards walked up to the broken Black Yautja ship. Their masks analyzed the destroyed engine on one of the wings. "Humans with primitive weapons," the Prince said amused.

"Humans?" Lex wondered.

"This is the result of a rocket-propelled grenade; a primitive explosive device. It is, however, effective against our armor and our physiology," the Prince said.

"Search the ship," the Prince ordered, as he examined a dead Black Yautja. He took out a medical toolbox and used a scalpel to dig into the body's torso. He finally found the bullet and took it out. The Prince's mask analyzed the bullet.

"The bullet is 7.62mm. I know this weapon," the Prince said to himself. "We have encountered this ammunition before in the wilderness of Siberia on Earth," the Prince added.

"Russian?" Lex wondered.

"It is too primitive for Russian, but it could come from a number of lands on your planet," the Prince said and then placed the bullet in a pocket.

"The weapons are gone," the Royal Guard reported.

"This is distressing," the Prince said annoyed.

Lex was secretly pleased as this would give the humans on the moon a fighting chance. The Prince seemed to notice Lex's lack of concern. "I will remind you that the more armed the prey is the more force shall be brought upon them," the Prince told her.

* * *

The Americans, Israeli, and the Taliban fighters stared at each other in the darkness neither trusting the other. Salar was the leader and spokesman for his group since the others didn't know English.

"I think we should part ways in the morning," Patterson said to Salar.

"Why do you say this?" he asked curiously.

"I have to be honest with you, Salar. Your men are not properly trained like mine, and we can't trust you. I've spent four years trying to hunt your type down and the rest of my men have lost comrades to you," Patterson said.

Salar nodded in understanding. "I joined the Taliban, so I could provide for my family. The Taliban can pay better than Karzai."

"That's because of the opium trade," Patterson pointed out.

"I don't care where the money comes from. I have a wife and four children. They are being taken care of by the Taliban while I am here. I have nothing against you," Salar said.

"When you eventually leave, all those who sided with Karzai will perish. I am a realist," Salar added.

"How can I trust you?" Patterson asked finally.

"I have the information you need. If you get me home to my family, I will tell you what you want to know," Salar offered.

"And what do you know?" Patterson scoffed.

"I know Osama Bin Laden's location. I know exactly where he lives, and I can show you on a map. He is not in a cave like you think. You help bring my men home, and I will tell you Osama's location," Salar said.

Patterson froze at that wondering if he could trust Salar. "I will need to know everything you know once this is over. If you fail to deliver, I will hunt you down myself."

"Then we have a deal."

* * *

"I don't expect you to like each other, and I know some of you have hard feelings towards the Taliban. But in order for us to survive here, we will need their help. They have agreed to give us the location of Osama Bin Laden after this is all done," Sergeant Patterson said.

"Hell, yes," Thompson smiled.

"It's bullshit. They're lying," Rodriguez accused. "Their religion allows them to lie to non-believers. They will say anything to us to get their way."

"That is not true," Salar objected.

"Look, they will give us the location of Bin Laden, and then our intelligence will verify it. If they lie, they get a first-class trip to Cuba. Does that sound acceptable to you, Rodriguez?" Patterson asked.

"Yeah, that's fine, Sergeant," he said.

"Good, these things that are out there are hiding in the trees. We need to get out in the open," Patterson said.

"I know a wide-open field a short distance from here," Royce said.

"Alright, lead the way Royce. You will be the team leader for Alpha team," Patterson ordered. He then turned to Salar. "Do you know how to do a file and wedge movement?"

"We have studied your movements," Salar replied.

"Let's move," Patterson ordered.

* * *

The Prince activated his communicator with his Royal Guards. "Fall back to the pyramid. We are done for the night. Good hunting."

Lex felt relieved upon hearing the Prince's order. He was suddenly hit by a long black tail. The Prince slammed into a tree and fell to the ground. Lex turned to see what had happened and stared into the face of the Hybrid. It opened its mouth and shot out its second mandibles. Lex dodged the attack and activated her targeting computer in her mask.

The Hybrid smacked her hard, knocking off her mask and her plasma cannon. She stabbed the Hybrid with her blades, but they were flesh wounds. The acid hissed on her blades, but they did not melt. Lex fell to the ground from the blow of the Hybrid's attack. Lex didn't realize it before but the Hybrid was covered with face-huggers on his body.

It peeled one of them off and released it. Lex found her face covered by the face-hugger and felt intense pain as a tube went down her throat. The face hugger's tail curled around her neck cutting off her airflow. Lex got on her feet and struggled to take the face-hugger off while the Hybrid watched.

Finally, Lex ran out of air and fell to the ground unconscious. Blades suddenly shot out stabbing the Hybrid in the shoulders. The Prince extended his blades and confronted the Hybrid. The two circled each other with Lex in the middle. The Hybrid roared and rushed the Prince. He expertly avoided the arms of the Hybrid and stabbed it to the chest and gut. The Hybrid swung its tail, but the Prince cut it off. Screaming in pain, the Hybrid backed off.

The Prince advanced on the Hybrid with punches and kicks that stabbed into its body. The Hybrid appeared to be twice the Prince's weight but the Yautja was fast. He quickly bent low and sliced into the Hybrid's legs forcing it to the ground. Satisfied it could not move against him, the Prince walked away.

Lex's body continued to spasm, as the face-hugger continued its work. With nothing that could be done, the Prince knelt down next to Lex and waited for the end.

* * *

The American, Israeli, Taliban team moved into the tall grasslands away from the trees. As they did a recon of the area, they found the body of a Black Yautja and a dead Japanese man. The two were in a state of decay but the Japanese katana blade was in good condition. One of the Taliban fighters picked the sword up and placed it on his belt.

"I knew this man," Royce said of the body.

"Who is he?" Patterson asked.

"He was Kakuza from Japan. He fought one of these things one-on-one," Royce said.

The Americans examined the Black Yautja and took off his mask. "Thompson: you have a fat head. See if it fits," O'Connor suggested.

Thompson placed the mask over his head and immediately felt new perceptions. "Well?" Patterson wondered.

"I can see in different spectrums. It's amazing. It is like my mind is telling the mask what to do," Thompson said.

"Keep the mask on. We may need that," Patterson ordered. He then turned to everyone. "We set up camp here." He then turned to Isabelle, "I am going to need you in the trees tonight."

She nodded and walked off with her sniper rifle.

* * *

The Prince waited a few hours for the face-hugger to die and release its hold on Lex's face. Lex began to stir and eventually got up as the face-hugger chemicals stopped flowing through her system. "What happened?" she asked dazed.

"You were attacked by a Xenomorph, and it has implanted an egg inside you," the Prince told her.

Lex stared at the still masked Prince. "I'm dead," she said resigned.

"Under normal circumstances, you would be," the Prince said and then took out a tube of a sort from his suit.

"What is that?" Lex wondered.

"This will suck the creature out of your body," the Prince said and then used his mask to find precisely where the embryo was located. The egg had gone down into the stomach, hugged the lining of the stomach, and then transfused itself on the outside of the stomach below the abdomen muscles and attaching itself to the aorta.

"There is something I want from you," the Prince said, as he casually prepared his tool.

"What? Anything," Lex said, as she felt powerful chest pains.

"I want you to be my mate and provide me an heir that will have some human genetic qualities," the Prince said.

"You're proposing to me now?" Lex asked while in deep pain.

"We don't propose as your modern human culture does. Generally, a male will choose a female and then ask the father of that female for permission. The female has little say in the matter. As it is, you have no parents Yautja or human," the Prince said.

Lex simply stared at him. "I know you are an orphan, Lex. I know that your father died when you were young climbing a mountain on Earth," he said.

Lex felt another intense pain as the creature was beginning to move inside her gut. "You would have me be a breeder?"

"All I ask is one heir and then I will take you to many planets and moons. I will take you to mountains taller and more challenging than anything you have seen on the Earth. I can give you the chance to climb the highest mountain on Earth, the Everest. You would never want and have freedom beyond any human," the Prince said.

"How can I trust you?" Lex asked him.

"You have to take my word for it."

Lex took out a blue vial from her suit and opened the cap. "What are you doing?" the Prince asked.

"There is another option. If it erupts from me, it will be a Hybrid just like the one that attacked me. I have to kill it even if it kills myself," she said.

"What of my offer?"

"I am not going to be blackmailed into marriage," Lex said defiantly and then tilted the vial.

The Prince considered Lex for a split second and then forced the vial out of her hand. He took the tube and placed it on her abdomen. He activated the machine and within a second the creature burst from Lex's chest. The Prince then capped the tube keeping the small Xenomorph inside. Lex coughed up green blood, and her wound was starting to bleed all over her suit.

"This is going to hurt," the Prince said and then injected her inside the wound. Lex tensed up in extreme pain as the substance cauterized her wound.

The Prince then brought Lex to her feet and collected her equipment. He would keep the mask off her face, so he could see infrared readings in her head. Lex noticed the struggling Hybrid on the ground. "You didn't kill it?" she asked stunned.

"It is still useful for my plan. It will heal itself in a short time. We should go," the Prince told her.

Lex didn't want to argue, so she let the Prince cover her in an invisible cloak. The two walked through the forest until they reached the pyramid. When they got there, the Royal Guards welcomed them inside. "We were concerned about you, my Prince," the Royal Guard leader said.

"I had a complication," the Prince said vaguely.

* * *

Isabelle watched intently through her sniper rifle as the night went on. The moon's night and day were longer than on Earth by a few hours. Still, she stayed watchful for anything coming near the camp. When dawn finally came, she went down to the rest of the camp with bloodshot eyes.

"Get some sleep, Isabelle, and the rest of you form a perimeter," Patterson ordered.

Isabelle immediately went to sleep exhausted. "It's good your remaining survivor is a true soldier," Patterson remarked to Royce.

Royce ignored the insult. It was true. Isabelle was the better soldier; she would never leave a fallen comrade behind and always considered what was best for the group. But that didn't mean she would survive.

* * *

Lex awoke several hours later with a pain in her stomach. She immediately clutched her chest, as she remembered the Xenomorph trying to push out. She examined the wound and saw that it was healing quickly. She was starting to feel like her body was actually her and not a costume.

She walked down the halls and found the Prince examining a hologram of the moon. "There are fewer ships in the atmosphere now," the Prince said, as she came into the room.

"You are winning," Lex said subdued.

* * *

The Xenomorphs infected the large birds of the moon from other planets and morphed into flying serpents. The Xenomorphs took flight like black dragons and were attracted to the heat from the Black Yautja ships. The Xenomorphs covered and attacked these ships until they fell to the ground. The air became filled with these dragons and at night they were nearly invisible. The humans also noticed the Xenomorphs and moved back into the forest.

The human infantry team looked in all directions for any kind of threat. Using Royce's suggestion, they built traps made of woods and vines. After a day's work, they were able to keep their circle relatively secure. During the day, a curious Xenomorph crawled around the ground sniffing for prey. It fell into a pit and immediately spikes sliced into it. The acidic blood leaked over the wooden spikes destroying them.

"We're going to need to dig another pit," Royce said dryly.

There was silence and then a swarm of Xenomorphs rushed the group. "Open fire," Patterson ordered. The infantrymen blasted the area with suppressive fire causing some of the Xenomorphs to explode in yellowish goo. Royce's weapon shot shell-after-shell as the Xenomorphs came closer. Suddenly, from the side, the Xenomorphs were hit with machine gunfire. The Taliban were firing with AK-47s and had successfully outflanked the rushing Xenomorphs.

"Not bad," O'Connor remarked.

The Xenomorphs adapted by confronting the Taliban but were cut down by the Americans. When the smoke had cleared there were a dozen dead Xenomorphs on the ground. "Good work, everyone," Patterson complimented.

"Traps or no traps, we can not hold an attack like that again," Royce said.

* * *

"Of course," the Prince replied. A Royal Guard entered the room with a mask. "I have scouted the humans near our location," he said.

The Prince took the mask and viewed what the Royal Guard had seen. He saw the Americans working with the Taliban against the Xenomorphs. He took off the mask and laughed in a creepy version of a human laugh. He then gave the mask to Lex so that she could view it.

"They are?" Lex wondered.

The Prince chuckled at her ignorance. "They are American infantrymen and Taliban fighters. No doubt the Black Yautja desired to see them fight each other and then hunt the survivors," the Prince said.

"This shows that humans can work together. Maybe, you should follow the same example and seek peace with the Black Yautja," Lex said boldly.

"Peace, there can be no peace," the Prince said dismissively.


	11. The Mutant II

The human soldiers went through the forest never staying in one place for too long. Some of the Taliban fighters decided to take a break and talk amongst themselves. "What is that?" one of them said to the other in Dari.

"What's the hold-up?" Rodriguez asked.

"He says he has seen red dots from the sky," Salar translated with a confused expression.

A plasma burst suddenly hit the Taliban fighter slicing into his neck. The Taliban and Americans opened fire in all directions for the source of the burst. Another plasma burst went through the air from a different direction. A Black Yautja appeared out of cloak with an injury to the head. His mask was blasted open, and he was leaking blood to the back of the head.

Upon being revealed, the Americans and Taliban fired on the Black Yautja spraying him with bullets. The Black Yautja fired another burst hitting Thompson to the chest. Finally, an RPG hit the Black Yautja in the stomach and then exploded. Body parts and green blood flew in all directions.

"We need a medic," Salar said upon seeing his fallen comrade.

The Americans looked at Patterson for direction. "Holmes: do what you can," he ordered.

Thompson ripped open his burnt clothes and threw aside his burning bulletproof vest. Royce looked over the wound; his chest had been burned but he would live. "Holy Shit," he gasped.

"You're going to need to be more careful from now on. We don't have a spare," Patterson told him.

Holmes looked over the wound and started placing bandages around the Taliban fighter's neck. "It looks to be cauterizing," Holmes said confused.

"Is that good?" Salar asked.

"It's bad if his jugular closes up," Holmes said, as he continued examining the wound. The Taliban fighter struggled to breathe and was barely moving. "Have them talk to him," Holmes said to Salar.

The Taliban talked to their fallen comrade in Dari, while Holmes completed the bandages. However, within a few moments, the Taliban fighter lost consciousness and died. Holmes backed away in shock; he had never seen someone die on him before. Salar nodded to him reassuring him that it was not his fault.

"Holmes, Salar: we need to talk," Patterson called over.

* * *

The Prince was given another report on the activities of the humans and was pleased to hear that another Black Yautja had been killed. The Black Yautja had been distracted by hunting humans and Xenomorphs. Upon making the first move, the Black Yautja would often reveal themselves to a Royal Guard.

"When the humans leave, collect the skull. I want to take a look at it," the Prince ordered.

"As you wish my Prince," the Royal Guard replied.

The Prince then turned to Lex. "I find it insulting that you would rather die than be my mate. That is the most absurd course of action I have ever come across. I have wealth, power, status, and privileges that few Yautja possess. Due to your origin, I am doubtful anyone higher than myself would desire you as a mate," he said.

"I will not be forced to love you," Lex told him. "I would rather be with a commoner that loves me than a Prince that doesn't."

"Mating is not about love although it can be over time. When I first mated with my first wife, we were not in love, as you say, at the time. It took time to build, and I am certain it will increase over time," the Prince said.

"I will not 'mate' with anyone unless I love them," Lex continued her defiance.

The Prince chuckled. "I have doubts that you loved every sexual partner you ever had. In your land, the divorce rate is high, and your lifespan is shorter than ours."

"And you have more than one wife," she countered.

"So?" the Prince wondered.

"Could you remain faithful and happy with just one wife?" Lex challenged.

"What I do is for the common good. I have many wives so that I may repopulate our species due to wars and hunting. It is a great charity to mate with a female with no opportunity to advance as well as to adopt the orphans," the Prince said.

"You don't need to mate with a female to be charitable to her," Lex argued.

"You are simply jealous. I have been away from my wives for several months at a time. My self-control is perfect," the Prince said dismissively.

"You would add me to your collection of wives? And would your wives have a say in this?" she asked.

"They will respect my decision and if any of them object they can become the mate of my younger brothers who have few wives," he said unconcernedly.

"How can you call that love?" Lex accused.

"You imply that sex equals love," the Prince shot back.

"I think you're lonely on this moon. You can't leave, because of the blockade, and you haven't had sex in a long time," Lex said.

The Prince chuckled. "I suffer so much disrespect from you, but I like your honest opinion. I encourage you to speak your mind, but you shall hold your tongue in front of my guards, staff, guests, and all other Yautjas."

"As you wish," Lex replied sarcastically.

The Prince then turned to his computer screen. "Xenomorphs are closing on the human's position. Your orders, Sir?" the Royal Guard asked.

The Prince turned to Lex and then back to the screen. "Watch them, but do not interfere."

* * *

The Xenomorphs raced across the ground in packs from four different directions, as they hunted the humans. The humans took a tight circular perimeter and watched for any movement. The Royal Guard watched in the trees but did nothing. The Taliban were the first to fire spreading bullets into the forest. The Xenomorphs threw themselves at them. All of them opened fire on the Xenomorphs killing a few of them immediately.

Acid was flung forward hitting O'Connor in the arm. He kept firing even through the pain. Another Taliban fighter was hit with acid to the face and was out of the fight. He fell to the ground and screamed in pain.

"I think we should start using the other guns," Royce suggested.

"I think you're right," Patterson agreed.

The humans took up the plasma rifles and fired into the forest. The Prince watched intently, as the humans fired Yautja plasma rifles. The bursts exploded the Xenomorphs, as they advanced. The injured Taliban fighters were grabbed by a Xenomorph and pulled away into the forest. The Xenomorphs then retreated away.

"We lost one of ours," Salar reported.

"So what?" Rodriguez objected.

"We never leave a fallen comrade," Patterson told him.

"They are not our comrades," Rodriguez said.

"Do it!" O'Connor said as he bandaged up his arm.

Rodriguez held his tongue and went with the group to find the captured Taliban fighter. The team went through the forest and found a cave. The lining of the cave seemed to be covered in organic material.

"Thompson," Patterson ordered upfront.

Thompson used the Yautja mask and scanned visually inside the cave. "Clear as far as I can see," he said.

"Okay, let's move. Don't touch the sides of the cave," Patterson ordered.

"This is bullshit," Royce objected.

Patterson gave him a dirty look and then looked at O'Connor's injured arm. "Fine, stay here with O'Connor."

The team went inside the cave following the directions of Thompson. "Eleven o'clock," Thompson shouted.

The team fired in the same direction blasting the Xenomorph to pieces. Thompson continued to scan for Xenomorphs with the mask.

* * *

"The humans have entered a cave where a Xenomorph hive appears to be located," the Royal Guard reported.

"I shall make a note of this for future reference," the Prince replied. He then turned to Lex, "The humans have entered into a trap. They will not survive in there."

"You're going to let them die?" Lex asked displeased.

"Are you willing to offer me something that would make it in my interest to risk my Royal Guards?"

"No."

"Keep watch to see if anything else enters the cave," the Prince ordered.

* * *

The humans tossed flares into the cave giving them some light but mostly relying on the eyesight of Thompson. Suddenly, a tail struck Thompson to the back going right through him. The humans opened fire splashing acid on Thompson back causing even more serious wounds. He cried out in pain and shock and then fell to the ground dead. "Take the mask," Patterson said quickly.

Holmes took the mask and placed it on his smaller head. "I see him."

The humans found the Taliban fighter pinned to the wall by organic material. Salar approached the man and saw that his chest was budging. "There is something inside," he said in Dari.

"Comrade, we cannot help you," Salar said sadly.

"They are down in the cave. I will trap them inside forever. You should go," the Taliban fighter said.

"May Allah be with you," Salar said and then went back to the Americans. "We must go quickly."

Rodriguez picked up Thompson's dead body and ran towards the exit of the cave. The Xenomorphs quickly crawled on the ground, on the walls, and on the ceiling after them. The Taliban fighter said a few prayers and then pushed a button attached to his vest. The explosion was massive exploding the Xenomorphs and collapsing the cave. The humans exited the cave just as the entrance collapsed.

* * *

The Royal Guard noticed the increase in heat signatures coming from the cave. "There appears to have been an explosion inside the cave," he reported.

The humans traveled some distance away from the cave before stopping. "One of my men is dead trying to rescue one of yours. I need to know where Osama Bin Laden is now," Patterson said to Salar.

"Even if I told you, it wouldn't help you. You can't communicate with your people," Salar pointed out.

"This is about trust. I need to know I can trust you to deliver. Now give it up, or we go our separate ways," Patterson insisted.

Salar hesitated but then relented. "He is in the city Abbottabad in Pakistan in a three-story compound one and one-half kilometers from the Pakistan Military Academy. It is the equivalent of your West Point."

"You got to be shitting me," Rodriguez said stunned.

"How do you know this?" Patterson interrogated.

"I knew a courier that would send messages back and forth from Osama Bin Laden to some of his Al Qaeda operatives. I have never met him myself, but I know he is there," Salar said confidently.

"I call bullshit," O'Connor doubted.

"It's strange enough to be true. I never did trust the Pakistanis," Patterson remarked.

"That is because they work for us," Salar said.

"Why are we even in this fight then," Rodriguez said displeased.

"Because we were ordered to. We don't question our orders," Patterson told him.

"I see something in the trees," Isabelle said while looking through her rifle.

"Check it out, Holmes," Patterson ordered.

"I don't see anything," Holmes reported.

"Where?" Royce asked looking at the same spot. "I see it now."

"Do I engage?" Isabelle asked.

"Take the shot," Patterson allowed.

Isabelle fired slicing into the blur in the sky. Green blood flew into the air confirming what she saw. The Royal Guard turned his attention to the hit and fired. The Americans and Taliban fired in both directions forcing the Royal Guard to take cover. The hit Black Yautja fired at the Royal Guard but missed. The burst hit a tree branch; it fell to the ground slamming into O'Connor.

The Royal Guard ran from tree branch to tree branch as the Black Yautja fired in all directions. Additional plasma bursts went through the air from other directions. "Take cover," Patterson ordered the men.

* * *

The Prince closely monitored the situation. He had two Royal Guards on location, but there appeared to be a team of three Black Yautja present. "I am taking command of your plasma cannons. Concentrate on your other weapons and evasion," the Prince ordered.

Lex saw the screen show a split video of the two Royal Guard's masks. The Prince could now see what the Royal Guards saw. Taking control of their two plasma cannons each, he moved the red triangle with his arms. "Join me," he said to her.

Lex put her hands up and moved two red triangles. The Prince furiously moved his hands changing the visual screen in front of him. It was a particular challenge as both the Royal Guard and Black Yautja were in cloak. The two Royal Guards evaded the red beams of the Black Yautja, as they attempted to target them. They both threw blades, spears, and shurikens into the air.

The humans fired aimlessly with plasma rifles. Through it all, Isabelle kept calm and looked for another shot. The blades sliced through the air nearly hitting some of the humans. A Taliban fighter got hit in the shoulder while an American got hit to the helmet. Some of the blades hit their mark slicing into a Black Yautja leg.

Lex fired at anything that moved in the air and in the upper trees. Suddenly, there was an explosion as an electronic falcon was hit in midair. "Good," the Prince encouraged her. The plasma bursts caught fire to everything they hit creating an instant forest fire. The humans attempted to move out so that they wouldn't be consumed in the smoke. They pried the log off Holmes and carried the dead body of Thompson away. The Yautjas on both sides had masks that could filter it out but the fires were making visuals difficult.

As O'Connor carried Holmes in a fireman's carry, a stray plasma burst hit him to the side of his helmet. The helmet burst into pieces and O'Connor fell to the ground bleeding profusely from a head wound. Lex spotted the source of the plasma burst and fired. The burst hit the Black Yautja in the stomach revealing a splash of green blood for a second. The Prince also fired on the same location hitting the Black Yautja's leg and arm.

With O'Connor down, the humans circled around him and formed a small perimeter. Patterson immediately took off the smoking helmet and attempted to stop the bleeding. "There's no way he can survive," Royce said pessimistically.

O'Connor was shaking as if he was going through a seizure and then stopped moving. "This is our last stand. Everyone stay tight," Patterson ordered.

* * *

"Help them," Lex pleaded with the Prince even as she kept her eyes on the screen. The Prince hesitated and then activated a com on his computer. "Advance on these coordinates," the Prince ordered and then submitted the coordinates.

"They are on their way, but they may be too late," the Prince said lowering expectations.

A Royal Guard fired several times blasting metal nets into the air. One of the nets was successful, capturing the Black Yautja. He fell to the ground and struggled with the net. The Royal Guard loaded up a spear and shot it through the air stabbing the Black Yautja into the chest pinning him to a tree.

The other Royal Guard used his mask to track the injured Black Yautja and found him crawling along the ground. "Stand," the Royal Guard said to the Black Yautja. He struggled to get to his feet and turned around. The Prince fired both plasma cannons blasting the Black Yautja's body to nothing.

Suddenly, the Royal Guard was hit with a plasma burst that cracked his mask. The Prince lost visual and then rapidly worked to change the plasma cannons back to manual. The Royal Guard realized he could no longer use his plasma cannons, so he took them off his shoulders. The Black Yautja and the Royal Guard extended their blades.

Before the fight could begin, an arm shot through the Black Yautja's stomach. The Black Yautja roared in pain, as the foreign arm scrambled his guts. The Royal Guard stared at the Mutant, as he then tore the Black Yautja apart.

"Retreat," the Prince ordered.

The Royal Guard cloaked himself and disappeared into the forest. The Prince's reinforcements monitored the situation and replaced the Royal Guard with the broken mask. The Mutant roared enthusiastically and then advanced on the humans.

Royce aimed his plasma rifle close to the Black Yautja's face, as he struggled inside the net. "Nothing personal," he smirked, as he blasted his face off.

The Mutant snuck up on Royce smacking him hard with his upper left arm. Royce was thrown into the air and let go of his plasma rifle. The Mutant then advanced on the small squad left. Holmes was propped up next to a body and given a plasma rifle; he could do no more. The Mutant leaped from the trees and landed in the middle of the group. With his upper arms, he punched Patterson and Salar to the head. With his lower arm, he pulled Isabelle's sniper rifle away from her and then punched her to the gut stunning her. A Taliban fighter fired his AK-47 at the Mutant, but it didn't do significant damage. The Mutant grabbed the Taliban fighter and head-butted him.

Rodriguez fired his plasma rifle but missed the quick-moving Mutant. He waited a few panicked seconds, as it recharged. The Mutant extended his blades and punched forward. The Taliban fighter got in the way and was stabbed in his lungs. The Taliban fighter threw his AK-47 rifle to Rodriguez, as he fell. Rodriguez took his M-4 and the AK-47 and blasted the area with gunfire. The Mutant was hit several times and screeched in pain.

* * *

"Stop it!" Lex shouted at the Prince.

The Prince hesitated and then took the com for his Royal Guard. "Capture the Mutant but do not kill."

"Copy, Prince," they replied back.

"That's not good enough," Lex said displeased.

"I will not kill my prized pet," the Prince said.

"Then I will," Lex said defiantly and took command of one of Royal Guard's plasma cannons.

She aimed the two triangles and fired. The twin plasma bursts went straight for the Mutant just as he was throwing Rodriguez aside. The Mutant noticed the beams and jumped away just in time. The two beams hit near to the site creating an explosion that consumed Holmes.

Lex released her hold on the controls defeated. The Prince deactivated her control over the plasma cannons but said nothing. He knew she felt terrible. Rodriguez knelt down next to the Taliban fighter who had saved his life. His lungs had been punctured, and he was barely breathing. He formed the peace sign with his fingers and then died.

Rodriguez then noticed Holmes's charred body. He then found Patterson knocked out on the ground. "Sergeant!" he shouted to wake him up.

"You have to get home and tell our intelligence what they told us," Patterson said weakly.

"I am going to get you home, Sergeant," Rodriguez promised.

The two remaining Taliban fighters conversed with each other. "These creatures are not jin. They are flesh and blood. They are infidels," Salar to his partner.

Ghazan nodded and loaded his RPG. "If we die, the Americans will know where he is," Ghazan said referring to Bin Laden.

"I won't let that happen," Salar promised.

Ghazan looked around and saw a blur in the trees. He fired the rocket at the blur but the Royal Guard was quick. He fired his plasma cannon and the RPG exploded in midair. Pieces of metal hit Ghazan and the Royal Guard. Ghazan fell to the ground in pain.

Isabelle fired at the same spot blasting a hole into the Royal's Guard's gut. "Withdraw," the Prince ordered to his injured Royal Guard.

Salar nodded to her as a sign of respect. "Take this," Ghazan said giving Salar the Samurai sword.

Salar took the weapon from him; Ghazan was bleeding profusely from the explosion. "I will avenge you."

Rodriguez assisted Patterson to the high ground above the tree line. Isabelle was close behind. Salar remained behind with a fatally wounded Ghazan. The Mutant reappeared with blades extended. Salar took the sword and took a fighter stance.

"Do not interfere," the Prince ordered his Royal Guard.

Salar whirled his blade against the four-armed Mutant. Blades clashed, as Salar worked to keep up with the Mutant's four arms. The Mutant tore into Salar's thick robes, but Salar managed to slice the Mutant's chest. Lex watched as the two continued their duel.

"I thought you were going to capture him?" Lex asked.

"This man is fighting for his honor. Let him have an honorable death," the Prince said.

"No, let him go," Lex objected.

"He is the enemy of your former nation on Earth," the Prince reminded her.

Lex didn't like America being called her former nation, but she let it pass. "He's still human. His life has value," she argued.

Salar expertly sliced into the Mutant's gut and then ripped across. "Now, capture him," the Prince ordered alarmed.

Nets wrapped around the Mutant, and he was pulled up into the air. Salar desperately swung his sword, but it clanked against the metal nets. "Now, get him to move," the Prince ordered.

The Royal Guards aimed red beams at Salar and fired near him. The explosions encouraged Salar to run for his life away from the captured Mutant. Ghazan's body was burned and blasted apart in the explosions.

Rodriguez assisted Patterson up the hill with Isabelle close behind. "Where's Royce?" Patterson asked.

"Back there," Isabelle said vaguely.

"I think he can fend for himself," Patterson said confidently.

The three then found themselves with more problems. Winged Xenomorphs circled their hill and screeched at them. The three opened fire on the winged beasts, but Isabelle was captured in their claws. She screamed in terror as she was lifted off the ground.

Patterson and Rodriguez watched helplessly, as she was taken away into the distance. "Now what?" Rodriguez wondered.

A plasma burst suddenly blasted open Rodriguez's chest. Salar walked steadily up the hill with his plasma rifle raised. Patterson immediately threw a grenade at Salar and the resulting explosion blasted off his legs and right arm. The torn-up body of Salar fell to the ground and was bleeding out. The plasma rifle had been damaged in the explosion and was no longer functional.

"You son of a bitch," Patterson said upon seeing Rodriguez's dead stare.

"You were going to capture Bin Laden and leave me here," Salor accused.

"Yeah, now we're both good as dead, you bastard," Patterson said angrily.

"I will be a martyr," Salar said, as he was dying.

"You're going straight to hell. No virgins for you," Patterson said rudely.

"That is not my paradise. I will see my family again," he smiled.

"You said your family was back home," Patterson reminded him.

"I lied. They were killed in an air-strike," he said.

"Well, you're not going to get any sympathy from me," Patterson said roughly.

Salar took a sitting position and took out his sword. "I'll kill you if you move an inch," Patterson warned.

"No, all I ask is that you take the sword and give me an honorable death," Salar requested.

"Yeah, I guess I can do that," Patterson said taking the sword. He then raised the sword against Salar and sliced off his head.

* * *

The Prince noticed activity around his Royal Guard. "Bring the Mutant back to the pyramid with haste," he ordered. Xenomorphs swarmed the forests killing every little thing in their path, and then moved up towards the hills. Patterson looked around and saw the Xenomorphs moving up the hill. "So, this is it," he said to himself.

The Xenomorphs quickly moved up the hill in a race to see which could get to him first. Patterson took his grenades and the grenades on Rodriguez's body and pulled out the pins. Just as the Xenomorphs reached him, he threw down the grenades causing a large explosion that threw dirt into the air. The Royal Guard heard the explosion from a distance away. The top of the hill was a large crater with dozens of dead Xenomorphs.

The injured Xenomorphs were quickly consumed by the healthy ones until all the body parts were all consumed and then they scattered into the forest.

Meanwhile, Isabelle loaded her rifle and shot through the head of the Xenomorph dragon. It immediately fell to the ground, and Isabelle was flung into tree branches and vines. She dropped down to the ground with a thud and stopped moving.

The Prince watched as the Royal Guards dragged the Mutant back into the pyramid. "Bring his eyes into the scanner," the Prince ordered.

The Mutant struggled against the Royal Guard but was eventually placed in front of the scanner. The scanner looked through the Mutant's most recent memories. When it was done, the Prince ordered the Mutant to the medical wing to be healed.

The Prince then sat on his throne, as he looked over the video recordings. He saw the Mutant diligently hunting down Black Yautja and killing them one-by-one. Lex looked away as the Mutant tore off the limbs of the Black Yautjas. "You should kill that thing," Lex said disgustedly.

"You seem very selective on what should and should not be killed," the Prince remarked.

"It's just an animal. It's not even as intelligent as a human," Lex said.

"I don't recall it being morally justified to kill the mentally disabled on your planet," the Prince countered.

"We don't use the mentally disabled as weapons," Lex argued.

"I am giving this poor beast a purpose," the Prince said defensively.

"What you are doing is wrong," Lex said resolved.

"What would you have done if you knew the child in your womb was mentally disabled?" the Prince asked.

Lex said nothing. "I know what you would do. The difference between us is that I kill what can defend itself," he said.

* * *

Once the Mutant was healed, it was led outside and released into the forest. The Prince kept track of the Mutant's movements using a tracking device. The Prince then noticed activity in the air, as he viewed the radar systems. Missiles shot through the air blasted the pyramid. The whole structure shook from the hit.

"We're under attack," the Prince said casually to Lex.

"What do we do?" she asked as more missiles were shot towards them.

"I have a plan," the Prince said, and then walked through the halls deeper into the pyramid. The pyramid shook upon each hit, but it was withstanding the explosions. The pyramid's anti-aircraft guns became functional and fired at the incoming missiles. They exploded in mid-air. The Black Yautja ships then fired plasma bursts at the pyramid.

The Black Yautja ships were damaged with acid cracks from the Xenomorphs and some were barely working. The anti-aircraft guns blasted one of the ships to bits. An army of Black Yautjas landed on the pyramid itself and began to climb down towards the entrance. The anti-aircraft guns continued to fire until all but one ship was destroyed.

"Suit up" the Prince ordered his Royal Guards as the Black Yautja blasted the doors open with plasma bursts.

Once inside the pyramid, the Black Yautja ran through a large hall. There were large statues of Yautja warriors on either side of the hall. Six Royal Guards took places above the statues just beneath the ceiling and fired down below. The Black Yautja activated their cloak and fired back. Statues exploded, as they were hit. The Prince watched the battle while clicking his fingers on his throne in nervousness.

Blades, spears, and other projectiles sliced through the air. A few of the Black Yautja fell to the ground and bled out from their wounds. The Royal Guards were also getting hit. "Withdraw," the Prince ordered, as they were suffering casualties. The Black Yautja abandoned their wounded and continued down the hall.

The Prince activated the controls on the pyramid system and rearranged the doors so as to separate the Black Yautja into multiple groups. The Black Yautja responded by blasting at the walls with their plasma cannons. It would take some time but eventually, they would get through.

"What do you plan to do now?" Lex wondered.

The Prince sent a command through his computer causing a room filled with frozen items to thaw. Slowly but surely the Xenomorphs began to move and crack off the ice on them. "You have those things inside the pyramid?" Lex asked stunned.

"They have been there for years," the Prince said.

"They don't care what side you are on. They will kill us both," Lex said.

"Trust me," the Prince said.

The Xenomorphs became free of the ice and immediately went to find new prey. They quickly found the Black Yautja wandering around the pyramid. Cameras inside the pyramid continually informed the Prince of what was happening. The Black Yautjas were not accustomed to fighting Xenomorphs, but they quickly adapted. For every Black Yautja killed, three Xenomorphs were killed.

The wounded dozen that survived the Xenomorph attacks were then harassed by the Royal Guards who were using the pyramid's structures to their advantage. The Royal Guard had the advantage of wearing Xenomorph suits that made it impossible to find with infrared scanners. "Shall we join the battle?" the Prince asked Lex.

He didn't wait for her answer but left the control room. Lex reluctantly followed the Prince down the halls towards the battle. The Black Yautja had managed to reach the second floor, so they had to walk down a number of stairs to get to the same level. They eventually arrived at a large square where the Royal Guard and the remaining Black Yautja were fighting.

"Leave them to me," the Prince said to his Royal Guard.

They disengaged from the Black Yautja and walked behind the Prince. "Keep the female safe," he ordered.

"You don't have to do this to impress me," Lex told him.

"You flatter yourself," the Prince said amused.

The Black Yautjas was injured but still capable of fighting. They immediately fired on the Prince but their bursts were absorbed by an energy shield surrounding the Prince. The Prince retaliated by blasting the head of one of the Black Yautjas; he fell to the ground with a destroyed head.

"Shall we battle as our fathers did?" the Prince asked.

"You have no honor. You infested the forests with Xenomorphs because you knew you could not defeat us by yourself. You have used the flesh of Xenomorphs to your advantage in battle, and you use the most recent technology to fight," the Black Yautja leader accused.

"When I hunt, I do not use technology. But in war, I shall use every advantage I have. Your kind used genetic engineering to increase your size and strength. It was and still is an abomination," the Prince said.

"You are guilty of the same sin. You have used human DNA in your experiments. The female in your possession is not a Yautja but human," the Black Yautja pointed out.

"I am a Prince. I have that authority," the Prince replied.

"Your authority means nothing to us," the Black Yautja spat.

"You shall submit to me and my father or you shall be killed as beasts," the Prince said.

The Black Yautja responded by extending their blades and taking attack positions. They slowly surrounded the Prince on all sides. The Prince took out a Japanese katana blade and readied himself for the fight. Lex watched as the Prince sliced into the Black Yautja with his sword. Within a minute, the Prince expertly used his sword to cut them all down. The remaining Black Yautja desperately fired a plasma burst at the Prince. The burst was absorbed by the shield; the Prince fired a plasma burst killing the last one.

A few seconds after the last Black Yautja had been killed, the Prince fell to his knees with blood leaking from his wounds. The Black Yautja blades had managed to slice through his Xenomorph armor. The Royal Guards brought the Prince to his feet and assisted him to the medical wing.

Lex stayed behind and stared at the dead Black Yautja bodies. She then heard a beeping noise and then noticed the red bars on a wrist band on one of the Black Yautjas. She looked over the bodies and found that one of them was still breathing. He was playing dead, but Lex could see his temperature with her mask. The bomb would destroy the entire pyramid and kill everyone inside. She aimed her plasma cannon on the survivor but hesitated to fire.

She wasn't a killer. She couldn't just kill him while he was defenseless but if she didn't act everyone would be killed. She quickly slashed the Black Yautja's arm off deactivating the bomb. The Black Yautja roared in pain and bled profusely from the wound.

"Kill me," he said to her.

"It's not my way," Lex said to him.

"You are human. You don't understand our ways. Every male Yautja desires an honorable death so that when he passes to the next life he will be welcomed by his ancestors," he said.

"Tell me about this next life, and I'll consider it," Lex said curiously.

"When a Yautja dies, his spirit goes to another dimension; a spirit world. There he is immortal and will be able to hunt across worlds through the spiritual universe. He does not hunt with technology but with his hands and tools that he finds like how our ancestors hunted," the Black Yautja said.

"And what about the females?" Lex asked.

"They are given the privilege of mating with the males, but they will not give birth. They may hunt too if they desire. Females are rewarded in the next life for their faithfulness and by how many pups they gave birth to," the Black Yautja answered.

Lex was not too enthused by this Yautja heaven. "And all of you believe this way?"

"There are heretics among us and heathens but all races of Yautja believe this," he answered.

"And who revealed this to you? One of you came back from the dead or something?" Lex asked skeptically.

"There was a great prophet who could pass through both worlds at will, and he brought game from the spiritual world back to this world. Its skull is on Yautja Prime and one day we shall take it," the Black Yautja said.

"Well, on my world they would say you were destined for Hell. In Hell, there are lakes of fire, smoke, and darkness," Lex said bitterly.

There was a pause between them. "Is there game in this Hell?" he asked.

Lex did recall there being strange creatures in the mythology of Hell including demons. "Yeah, sure," Lex said.

"In either case, I will be satisfied," the Black Yautja said.

Lex gave the Black Yautja a disgusted look. "You ready?" Lex asked as she readied her blade.

"Do it," the Black Yautja insisted.

Before Lex could make the swing, the Black Yautja's head was sliced off by an invisible force. Lex backed away stunned by what happened and immediately a Royal Guard appeared. "How long were you there?" Lex asked.

"The entire time," the Royal Guard said. "I am assigned to protect you. He would not have wanted to die by a female's hand."

* * *

The Prince had his wounds bandaged and placed armor on himself to hide them. Lex was escorted by the Royal Guard to the medical center. "Are they all confirmed kills?" the Prince asked.

"Yes, my Prince," he replied.

"Make preparations," the Prince ordered which was code for taking trophies from the bodies.

The Royal Guard exited the room leaving the Prince and Lex alone. The Prince stared at her with his mask for a few moments and then took off his mask. "Finished?" Lex asked irritably.

"Yes, my skills have decreased. Next time, I will not suffer one of them to live," the Prince said disappointed.

"I can't believe that a race that can build spaceships believes what you do," Lex said disrespectfully.

"How is it said? Throwing stones at a glass house," the Prince replied.

"So, I get points in the next life for how many children I have," Lex said incredulously.

"You don't believe in our religion so why do you concern yourself with it?" the Prince asked.

"Because the rest of you believe it as well. You all believe that if you kill the most challenging game, you get honor in the next life. You think you have a skull from Heaven on your planet," Lex argued.

"That skull is not of this dimension, but it is not from the spirit world," the Prince revealed.

"Then where did it come from?" Lex asked curiously.

"There is an alien race that is older than ours. We discovered how to travel faster than the speed of light because of their technology. We hunted them and then we took it from them. Our plasma weapons came from them. A great hunter managed to kill one of them and then showed the skull to the people," the Prince explained.

"So, your religion is false?" Lex assumed.

"You never actually asked what my beliefs were," the Prince said.

"So, what do you believe in?" Lex asked impatiently.

"Only my mates know that," he said ending the discussion.

* * *

Royce kept a low profile while in the forest, as Xenomorphs continued to infest the entire moon. Through her sniper rifle, Isabelle spotted Royce moving through the forest. She fired up into the air to gain his attention. He noticed the source of the shot and started moving towards her. In the meantime, she took aim at a beast that resembled a bull and fired at it.

Royce eventually made it up to the hill towards her. "The high ground isn't safe," he said.

"Weren't you the one that always wanted to take the high ground?" Isabelle reminded him.

"I was wrong," Royce admitted.

"It has been a good day, so far. I haven't seen too many of those things," Isabelle said referring to the flying Xenomorphs.

"I don't know what to think," Royce said gravely.

"Do you know what happened to the others?" Isabelle asked.

"No, but I think they're all dead," Royce said.


	12. The Prince

A cloaked satellite kept its orbit despite the Black Yautja blockade. Cloaked perfectly and never expected, it was able to transmit images and data to the Prince's pyramid. The Prince sent a signal through the satellite to Yautja Prime indicating a turning around in the war. A Yautja armada was soon assembled and sent off towards the moon at a speed faster than light.

During the flight towards the moon, the Prince briefed the admiral of the Yautja armada. Lex was made present to see these discussions but was not seen by the admiral. The admiral appeared older and bigger than the Prince. The Prince was in a league of his own among the Yautja. He was relatively shorter, lighter, and slender than his peers. Yet, he was as fast as a human trained in martial arts, and highly trained in weapons technology. Lex could not help but realize the hormonal boost she received upon seeing the Prince defeat those Black Yautja warriors.

"I have reason to believe that the Black Yautja have been severely diminished on the surface of the moon. My satellite has also determined that their ships have been reduced to a manageable level," the Prince began.

"How did you manage to defeat the Black Yautja while confined to your fortress?" the admiral asked.

"I unleashed the Xenomorph onto the moon's surface, and as I have predicted the Xenomorphs have successfully terminated their clans," the Prince answered.

"The use of Xenomorphs as a weapon is controversial on Yautja Prime. Your methods shall be deemed classified until approved by the Royal Court," the admiral said.

"Of course," the Prince allowed. "The Xenomorphs will kill every living animal on the planet, but then they will start to cannibalize themselves. It may take some time before new life forms can be replanted."

"That is unfortunate but necessary. It was important to keep the Black Yautja from using this system as a base. Fuel prices should go down upon the reconquering of this system," the admiral said.

"Keep me informed on your progress. I would like to return to Yautja Prime as soon as possible," the Prince ordered.

"As you wish, Sir. You have earned it," the admiral said and then signed off.

The Prince then turned to Lex. "The gas giant planet has some Helium Three, which can be used in our fusion reactors. Interestingly, there is a higher than expected concentration of Helium Three on Earth's moon, and from time to time we have mined there."

"Got it," Lex said not overly interested.

"We will be departing from this moon to Yautja Prime, as soon as the armada clears the system," the Prince informed her.

"What of the humans Royce and Isabelle? Are we just leaving them here to fend for themselves?" Lex asked.

"Still concerned for those two humans? You are welcome to hunt them down and bring them to the pyramid. Once they are on board my ship, I will transport them to another planet that is hospitable for them," the Prince allowed.

"You're not going to send them back to Earth?" Lex asked stunned.

"They know too much. The existence of our race, as well as the Xenomorphs, is not to be revealed to humanity," the Prince said coldly.

"I told them…," Lex muttered.

"You made promises you couldn't possibly keep," the Prince said sympathetically, and then took out a vial.

"What is that?" Lex asked curiously.

"This drug can revert your DNA back to human for a temporary amount of time. Bring back the skulls of those two humans, and I will give it to you. I will know whether you have brought the right skulls. We did a DNA scan on those humans before we let them go into the preserve," the Prince offered.

"You're a bastard," Lex cursed angrily at him.

"You care so much for these killers of men. How many humans have these ones killed during their lifetime?" the Prince asked.

"They should be put in prison. Maybe they can be rehabilitated," Lex suggested.

"I suppose we could place them in the zoo," the Prince said thoughtfully.

"You have zoos?" Lex wondered.

"On Yautja Prime, our zoo has a collection of animal species from all over the galaxy. Generally, we don't hold humans in these zoos, because they are attractive game. However, if the female were to be pregnant and the male were to be physically disabled then I think it would work," the Prince said.

"You can't just make it happen?" Lex asked.

"I have a reputation to uphold," the Prince objected.

"I am going to go find them," Lex said boldly.

"If you do, I would like you to test a new weapon I have developed," the Prince said and then took out what closely resembled a super soaker gun made of an acid-resistant metal. "It contains the acidic blood of the Xenomorph. It is useless against the Xenomorphs themselves but should prove deadly to any other life form."

The Prince handed her the weapon and Lex was tempted for a second to use it on the Prince's face. But no doubt there were Royal Guards in cloak that would immediately kill her. "Thanks," she said and walked off.

* * *

Lex went into the forest and used a hologram topography map to aid her. She figured the humans would try to take the high ground, so she began her hike towards the tallest hills in the valley. The Prince had placed a tracking device on her suit and was monitoring her movements. He realized that at their current pace, the Mutant and Lex would intersect.

"What are we going to do?" Isabelle asked.

Royce took a bite from the beast Isabelle had killed. "I don't know. Just survive I guess."

"What kind of life is that?" Isabelle wondered.

"It's the only one we got," he said simply.

"We have to get back to Earth somehow to deliver that information on Osama Bin Laden," Isabelle said.

"He'll eventually be killed or die of old age," Royce said dismissively.

"He killed over three thousand of your citizens," Isabelle reminded him.

"And we've killed twenty times that many in two countries, so let's call it square," Royce replied.

"You have no loyalties to anything or anyone. How did you get so fucked up?" Isabelle asked.

"I was part of a Special Forces unit, and every so often one of us would get killed. Sometimes it would be enemy fire, and sometimes it would be an accident. We weren't recognized for our service, there were no state funerals, and those we left behind were never told the reason for why we were gone. In 87, we lost five men in Guatemala, and no explanations were given. We were used as tools," Royce said bitterly.

"You volunteered for that, and you knew the risks," Isabelle countered.

"Don't you see? We're not alone any longer. There are alien races on planets all over the galaxy. They don't care if you're an American or an Israeli. None of that matters anymore, because they can do whatever they want to us," Royce said.

"You know what I think. I think you were sent out somewhere, and you did something you regret on orders. And you hate your country for making you do it," Isabelle said.

"How would you know something like that?"

"Because I had to do the same thing for mine."

* * *

Lex continued her hike even as it became night. She was most vulnerable now since the Xenomorphs didn't give off heat signatures. Eventually, she saw a heat spike on a hill. The only explanation was that it was a small fire in the distance. Believing the source to be her two humans, Lex continued her march.

The next morning, after sleeping in a tree, Lex continued her pursuit and found the burnt wood on the ground. She looked around only to hear the click of a gun. Lex deactivated her cloaking device, and put her hands up; she was terrible at this tracking business.

"Turn around," Royce ordered.

Lex complied showing herself to him, but he didn't recognize her with her Xenomorph armor. "It's the one from before," Isabelle said upon noticing her feminine shape.

"How do we know that?" Royce asked suspiciously.

Royce was suddenly thrown like a rag doll to the ground. Lex backed away, as she saw the Mutant advance on him. Isabelle quickly fired on the Mutant, but he healed immediately from the gunshot. The Mutant took her rifle and snapped it in two with his bare hands. Lex targeted the Mutant with her plasma cannons and fired on the Mutant. The shot missed the Mutant by an inch. He slammed down on Lex's shoulder damaging the plasma cannon and knocking Lex to the ground.

Royce got back to his feet and blasted the Mutant with shotgun shells until he ran out of ammunition. The Mutant was hit with a few dozen pellets but was healing quickly. Royce then got a broken-off branch and swung at the Mutant. The Mutant blocked the branch with his wrist shattering it. The Mutant then punched Royce to the face nearly knocking him out.

Lex used her cloak and snuck up behind the Mutant. She took out her acid rifle and sprayed it on the Mutant. The acid hissed violently on the Mutant's flesh. Lex squirted more acid on the Mutant, as he charged her. The Mutant caught her right arm and slammed down breaking it. Lex dropped her weapon and was hit hard to the face nearly cracking her mask open.

Pistol bullets suddenly slammed into the Mutant's head. The Mutant had been shot in the right eye but was still able to function. "What the fuck," Isabelle wondered.

Lex extended her blades and stabbed the Mutant to the side. He whirled around and backhanded her with his lower arm. Royce kicked the Mutant to the gut as hard as he could with little effect. Lex threw him her spear to defend himself with. The Mutant advanced on Royce, and the two dueled with their weapons. Royce worked to avoid the four-bladed arms of the Mutant but was getting cut none-the-less.

Lex entered the fight and the two attacked the Mutant from both sides. Still, the Mutant was outdueling the two of them. Both of them fell to the ground with wounds. Isabelle picked up the acid rifle and sprayed acid on the Mutant's abdomen. Royce kicked the Mutant's leg and Lex slammed into the Mutant with all her weight. The Mutant fell to the ground with a thud. Isabelle walked up to the Mutant and sprayed acid into the Mutant's face. The acid ate away the Mutant's skin until bone emerged. Royce and Lex worked to keep the Mutant's arms down with difficulty. The Mutant screamed in pain, as the acid ate away his eyes. He threw Royce and Lex off of him and got back to his feet.

Royce took Lex's spear and stabbed the Mutant through with it pinning it to a tree. Lex took out a net pistol and fired a metal net around the Mutant. Weakened and unable to move, the Mutant suffered blood loss and acid slowly moving towards his brain. The three of them watched, as the Mutant struggled, and then died.

"We make a good team," Isabelle smiled in relief.

"My weapon," Lex requested using a simulated voice.

Isabelle carefully handed Lex her weapon back and then moved cautiously away. "You are to be removed from this moon. The Xenomorphs will overrun this place, so I am taking you to a safe location," Lex said vaguely.

"Back to Earth?" Isabelle wondered.

"No, you can't go back to Earth. You two know too much, and they won't allow you to talk," Lex said.

"We won't tell anyone. I will resign from the service, and Royce here knows how to keep a secret," Isabelle pleaded.

"I'm sorry. It is not up to me," Lex said.

"Then who is in charge. Maybe if I kick his ass, we can get a better deal," Royce said abrasively.

"No, you can't win. You can't even win against me," Lex said.

"To hell, I can't," Royce said, and then took a swing at Lex. Lex cupped his punch and then tossed him back to the ground.

"Where are they taking us? Another game preserve?" Isabelle questioned.

"It's like a zoo. You won't be hunted there, and you will be well supplied," Lex said.

"I'm not going to be in some zoo," Royce argued.

"It's either that or death," Lex told him.

"Then I would rather die free," Royce said angrily.

Lex aimed her acid rifle and sprayed a small amount of acid on Royce's leg. The acid quickly burned through his pants, into his skin, and started to eat away at the muscle. He cried out in pain and started cursing Lex. "Why did you do that?" Isabelle demanded.

"Humans are attractive game to them. The only way they would accept you into their zoo is if you were disabled in some way," Lex said.

Isabelle eyed Lex with horror. "There are only two options. You either become disabled like him…or you become pregnant. They won't hunt a pregnant woman," Lex said.

Isabelle stared at Lex in shock, and then looked over at Royce. "With him?" she wondered.

Royal Guards decloaked around them creating a circular perimeter. "You don't have any time left to decide."

* * *

The Prince was the last to decloak and took center stage. Royce slowly got back to his feet even as his leg continued to smoke. He limped towards the Prince with his empty shotgun and raised it over his head like a club. The Prince lazily blocked the attack with his wrist blades and then tossed Royce to the ground.

Lex and Isabelle watched uncertainly as to what to do. Royce got back up again and tried to hit the Prince again, but the Prince sliced his shotgun cleanly in half with his blades. Red beams were all over Royce's body, but the Prince didn't give the order. The Prince grabbed Royce's throat and looked over his skull.

"Impressive for a human," the Prince said in English.

"Fuck you," Royce spat.

The Prince laughed an eerie human laugh and gave Royce a dismissive gesture. "Place him in the ship for departure," he ordered the Royal Guard.

But Royce got back on his feet and tried to swing his long knife at the Prince. The Prince blocked the blow with his bladed wrist, and the two struggled for supremacy. Suddenly, Royce was hit over the head by the buttstock of Isabelle's broken sniper rifle. Royce fell to the ground knocked out.

The Prince checked Royce's vital signs and was convinced the human wasn't permanently damaged, and then looked up at Isabelle. "He had it coming," she said lamely.

"Come with us," the Prince said in simulated English.

The Royal Guard shot a net around Royce and proceeded to drag him back to the ship. Lex accompanied an exhausted Isabelle on the path back. "So, what is this zoo going to be like?" Isabelle asked in a defeated tone.

"You will be placed in a habitat several miles long and wide. It will resemble a jungle like this, and you will have food at all times. You won't be hunted anymore there," Lex said with her mask's voice simulator.

"So, this is my life. Like a caged ape," Isabelle said bitterly.

"It is an opportunity to create a new human species on another planet," Lex said positively.

"Of all the humans on Earth, it had to be him," Isabelle muttered referring to Royce.

* * *

Royce was taken out of the metal net and placed inside the holding bay of the ship. Isabelle was placed in the same room, and the two were locked in. The Prince then ordered his men to begin packing the ship, a process that took most of the day.

At night, the Prince and some of his Royal Guards looked upwards, as they saw explosions in the sky. The Yautja Armada had already arrived, and the explosions were ships being destroyed; it resembled meteorites flying through the sky as debris fell into the moon's atmosphere.

Lex sat on the ground Indian style and was fairly bored by the space battle. When the battle seemed to end, the Prince took notice of her. "Let us go inside, and enjoy the feast."

The Prince set up tables resembling a square with a floor on the inside. A Yautja ship approached the pyramid and landed in a field nearby. A few dozen Yautja warriors exited from the battleship and were greeted by the Prince at the top of the stairs leading inside the pyramid. Lex was at the Prince's side, as he explained what was happening.

"The admiral outranks me in military affairs. He may accept my advice, but he is in command of the fleet, and his ship. I may give the admiral a performance review, and give it to my father who is the commander in chief of our armed forces. However, our armed forces are not like your own. We do not have permanent soldiers, but militias that eagerly volunteer for specific missions. Every male Yautja is obligated to perform some military duty during his lifetime," the Prince explained.

The admiral, captains, and several other officers walked up the steps of the pyramid towards the Prince. Each of them was heavily armed intimidating Lex, as they walked up. "Once they reach me, you are to kneel on one leg to them. Afterward, they will all kneel to me," the Prince stated the protocol.

The admiral was an Elder resembling the two Elders Lex had dealt with in the past. As they reached the final step, Lex knelt down and bowed her head. The admiral then knelt down before the Prince with his officers doing the same. "Rise Elder," the Prince said to his senior.

All stood up, and immediately the Prince and the admiral embraced in a warrior hug. Lex still had difficulty reading facial expressions but assumed they were smiling. "How went the battle?" the Prince asked.

"We lost two ships, but we destroyed eight of theirs. We are sending out hunting parties to track down any other ships in the system," the admiral reported.

"We shall celebrate the victorious dead," the Prince said sympathetically.

"Thanks to your little band, we were able to defeat them as easily as we did," the admiral said.

"Come in inside. We shall talk more," the Prince invited.

The admiral gave Lex a curious nod. "And who is this? Collected another one?"

"She is just a student of mine," the Prince downplayed.

The admiral chuckled, and then went inside with his officers following behind him. When they were inside, a lone Yautja exited the ship with a team of Yautjas behind him, some of which were female. "You shall kneel before this one. He is a Prince, but younger in rank than I am. He is my younger brother," the Prince said.

The younger Prince (referred to as Duke) walked up the stairs towards the Prince. Lex tried to see if there was any resemblance between the brothers but found none. They all looked the same to her. Lex knelt down as before to the Duke. The Duke and the rest of his escort knelt before the Prince. The Duke then stood up on his own accord.

"It has been a long time brother," the Duke said.

"Too long," the Prince agreed. The two clasped hands, and appeared to struggle against each other. After a short pause, the Prince forced the Duke's arm down. "Father have you sit behind a computer all day?"

"You will not defeat me in speed," the Duke said, and then quickly sliced through the air with his blades. Before the Prince could move, the Duke had his blades to his throat.

"You should be aware of your surroundings," the Prince said to the Duke.

"What?" the Duke wondered.

Lex's blades were at Duke's throat. The Duke turned in surprise to see himself caught. He quickly withdrew from the Prince and backed away from Lex. "What is this female's purpose?" the Duke asked.

Lex retracted her blades and wondered herself what her purpose was. "She is the lowest ranking member of my Royal Guard," the Prince said.

"Then why is she in your presence like this?" the Duke asked unconvinced.

"So that I may humble you," the Prince replied.

The Duke glanced at Lex, and then back at the Prince. Lex studied his face, and could make out anger and shock, and then acceptance. "I have been humbled," the Duke bowed before his older brother.

"Come inside. The celebration awaits," the Prince invited.

The Duke and his escorts entered into the pyramid leaving the two of them alone. "That was a bold move," the Prince said amused.

"I'm sorry. It was reflex," Lex said.

"Never apologize for being too loyal to me."

* * *

Inside the pyramid, the guests were already seated but immediately rose up once the Prince entered the room. "Please be seated and enjoy yourselves," the Prince said to the crowd.

The Prince then turned to Lex. "You will sit next to me, and it is best if you don't talk."

The Prince placed himself on a throne with the Duke to his right, and Lex to his left. On the other side of the square facing the Prince was the admiral's table. Next to the Duke were his several wives. Lex expected them to be flirting with the Duke to gain his attention like prostitutes. However, they remained seated and made small talk only with themselves in a respectful manner.

The Royal Guards entered the room and served plates on the table. Another group of them placed metal pitchers filled with an unknown liquid. Lex noticed that it was red, and feared it was blood. The Royal Guard then took their seats on the side of the square. The Prince took the pitcher and filled Lex's glass.

"What is this?" Lex wondered.

"It is similar to alcohol produced on Earth, but the process and the fruit are different," the Prince explained.

"Has she never drank before?" the Duke asked amused.

"There is no shame in being ignorant of vice," the Prince chided.

Lex cautiously took a sip of the drink, and immediately felt a burning sensation down her esophagus. She managed to maintain herself, and not cough. "It may be too much for you to handle," the Prince said.

Lex felt the effects of the alcohol in her system and enjoyed it. After all the anxiety she had gone through, she needed a drink. She took the glass and drank it all quickly. The Prince simply stared, as she sustained the drink. "Care for some more?" the Duke asked filling her glass.

The Prince considered Lex, and then back to the table. He stood up, so all could see him. "For five years, we have fought for this moon. We fought for fuel of course, but we also fought for the game preserve our ancestors had painstakingly built. Thousands of years ago, this moon was devoid of life. But our ancestors terraformed this moon, created the atmosphere, and restored its magnetosphere. They built it to be the exact modifications of Earth; so that we may be able to hunt the best humans had to offer. The Black Yautja dishonored our ancestors by stealing this moon from us and declaring it their own. Our past leaders offered to share the hunt, but they refused. Now, they have been defeated, and the moon is now ours once more," the Prince said.

The Yautja banged their fists on the table creating a pounding noise. Not wanting to look odd, Lex pounded the table as well with lower enthusiasm. "Many of you have hunted the Xenomorphs as a rite of passage. My brother has just recently killed his first," the Prince said, which created a laugh from the others.

"I offer a new hunt. It is a Xenomorph with the DNA of a Black Yautja. It is heavier and stronger than that which was created accidentally on Earth, and killed by our respected comrade," the Prince said while displaying a hologram of Hybrid's appearance.

Lex cringed, as she heard Wolf mentioned. She and a nuclear bomb had played a part in the Hybrid's demise. The admiral and the other officers stared at the hologram and appeared to have an interest in this new prey. "Upon my arrival to Yautja Prime, I will enlist anyone who wishes to hunt Xenomorphs on this moon. I expect the Xenomorphs to have cannibalized themselves within a short time after they have killed all animals on the moon. I give you the opportunity to enlist first," the Prince offered.

There was some chatter among the Yautjas, as they discussed the Prince's proposal. "Now, let us eat, drink, and celebrate this victory," the Prince said.

"Another?" the Duke offered once Lex was finished with her glass.

"Please," Lex welcomed it. After that speech, she needed to get herself wasted.

"Offer drinks to your own consorts," the Prince said annoyed.

"Is she yours, or can I take her as well brother?" the Duke asked.

"You have drunk too much," the Prince said dismissively.

The food placed in front of them was from a number of different animal species. In front of Lex was a species of bird found on Yautja Prime. She found to her amusement, she could hold the leg in her mandibles as she chewed away at it. As a human, a leg or two would be sufficient, but as a Yautja she ate a bird the size of a turkey in one meal. The Yautja males including the Prince were eating much larger pieces of meat making Lex's meal look small in comparison. She wondered how they could all remain fit.

Finally, the music started to play, and it resembled music from ancient times. The Duke's wives started to play flutes and harps. The Royal Guard left their seats and then entered the floor. "What are they going to do?" Lex wondered to the Prince.

"They will do a modern dance for us. I would have you join them, but I am not confident you can stand," the Prince explained.

"Wait…I can dance. Do you know…how many clubs I have been to? I…hit the floor," Lex said.

"I am afraid you will hit the floor literally. If you wish to dance, you may do so in my presence alone," the Prince objected.

The Royal Guard took positions, and the music started. This music was electronically generated and reminded Lex of catchy tunes from the 1980s. They began by extending their hands outwards, turning around, doing a jog in place, hands outward again, a waiving to the side, waiving to the other side, a hip motion forward and backward, and then they created a circle in the square. One of them did some moves with his arms like a wave motion and then pointed to another. That one did some moves with his legs and then pointed to another. He proceeded to fall to the ground, send his legs up into the air, and then suddenly got up while pointing to the sky.

Lex stared at the surreal experience of seeing them dance to the crowd. She almost believed the drink was making her hallucinate. The Prince tapped the table to the beat, as they continued. The Royal Guards created a tight circle and did some dance moves while next to each other. Finally, they broke up, as the music ended. There was some amused clapping from the audience, as the Royal Guard took their seats.

"A superb performance. Now, we shall retire, and ready ourselves for the journey back home," the Prince said ending the dinner.

The Prince then considered Lex. "You will be coming with me."

"Sure, absolutely," Lex said while slurring her words. "Anything you say, Your Highness."

* * *

The Prince led Lex away from the party to his throne room. "You have drunk too much and are in danger of embarrassing me," he said to her.

"I don't care…anymore. You're a killer…dining with other killers. You've killed my people… the Xenomorphs…and those of your own kind. There are two humans in your ship that are going to be put in a zoo and never return home. Your race is evil…and I have to stop you," she said boldly.

"I am the future of my race. I am humanity's greatest supporter among my peers," the Prince said.

"And what about me? I am going to have to live through all of your hunts and witness every time you kill human beings. I don't want to…to live around people who skin humans and take their skulls as trophies. I want this hell to end," Lex said while trying hard to articulate her words.

"You have not experienced the benefits associated with the great privilege of being a Yautja citizen. When we go back to Yautja Prime, you will understand what I mean," the Prince said patiently.

"Once I leave this moon, I won't have any control over my life. I have to take control," Lex said, and then grabbed a spear with a scythe blade on the end.

The Prince stood up from his throne, as she pointed it at him. "You won't win," he said confidently.

"This isn't about winning. This is… about standing for something, and maybe my death will embarrass you," she said.

The Prince frowned, as she realized she was serious. "You are intoxicated and not thinking clearly," the Prince said.

"Don't patronize me," Lex said angrily.

Lex advanced on the Prince, and the two clashed with their blades. Lex shoved the weightless spear towards the Prince, and then swiped across, as he avoided her. She was having some trouble concentrating, but at least she was forcing him to move. The Prince kept a safe distance away from her spear and circled her. Lex charged him again, but he expertly dodged the blade. Grabbing the spear with his hands, the two fought for control over it. With his superior strength, he forced the spear out of her hands. The spear flew across the room.

Lex extended her blades and went for a final charge. The Prince dodged her drunken moves with ease but did not attempt to stab her back. Grabbing her right arm, he unlocked the wrist blade. She tried to stab him with her left, but he quickly moved to her side. He unlocked her left arm blade disarming her. She kicked him to the gut finally getting a hit on him. He backed away momentarily stunned. Lex saw her chance and punched him to the chest. He lost his balance and fell into his throne chair. With the Prince seated, Lex put her hands around his neck to strangle him to death. The Prince reached for her metal bra and pulled her close to him. He then pealed Lex's fingers off his neck and extended his mandibles as he roared at her.

Lex stared at the Prince and lost herself. She moved her mouth towards him and intertwined their mandibles together. She then reached down and unlocked his belt. The Prince was about to throw her off but thought better of it. He retracted his blades and allowed her to continue. With the last of her humanity, she struggled with the Prince's wrists, so she could punch him again. The Prince threw her arms back nearly knocking her off the throne. She grabbed the Prince's legs to steady herself and became overwhelmed with sensations. She could feel him becoming hard underneath her, and how calm he was taking the situation; he didn't even consider her a threat. She hated and was attracted to this fact, and was reminded of the Prince's superior skills. He killed five Black Yautja all at the same time with a sword. How could she have any chance to win against something like that?

The Prince grabbed her metal bra to keep control of her, but Lex reached behind and unclasped her metal bra. Released from his hold, she pushed her hips against him roughly, as if they were still fighting. The Prince grabbed her breasts with his hands and began squeezing them both. Lex lowered her mouth and kissed the Prince's mouth similar to when she was human. She moved up on him placing her legs around his hips and grinding into him. The throne moved backward, as Lex kept herself on top of him.

"You're a monster and I hate you, but…," Lex said even as she used her hands to explore his muscular chest.

"If you kill me, this will stop," he said, and then massaged her breasts. Lex tensed up, as pleasure went through her body. Her breasts were twice as big as when she was human, and yet still proportional to her body. She had never experienced pleasure of this kind before.

"You will be safe with me," the Prince said softly.

Lex forgot what she was fighting with the Prince about, and lowered her right hand to his crotch. The Prince made no effort to resist but tensed up as she explored his body. She had never seen him naked before, or any male for that matter. Curiosity overcame her, and she unclasped his belt. Taking it off, and throwing it aside, she found him to be similar to a human male. She grasped him firmly and stroked until he was completely firm.

"Not bad for a beginner," the Prince said amused.

"I'm no beginner," Lex said deviously and continued her touching.

The Prince reached beneath her and grabbed underneath her with two fingers. Lex bucked against him, as she felt the two fingers on her. The Prince then used his thumb and circled her nub. Lex tensed up and arched her back towards him. With his other hand, the Prince raised her above him by firmly holding her breast. He then lowered her other breast onto his mouth. His mouth sucked on her breast tightly, and his mandibles wrapped around her breast locking her in place.

Lex made alien noises she had never uttered before. Her mind went into a haze, as she desperately wanted to go to the next level. She considered the possibility of mating with the Prince and having his child. She wondered what it would feel like to have a Yautja baby inside her for over a year. She thought about being a mother, and possibly raising the child to respect life rather than kill it. Children are more influenced by their mothers than their fathers, she figured. Would it be so bad to be the wife of a Prince? To be pampered all the time, make love, and lay in luxury as her belly grew.

"Alright Prince, take me. I'm yours," she said.

The Prince stroked her harder, and she suddenly gave a feminine roar as her orgasm fired off every nerve in her body. While her body jerked uncontrollably, the Prince allowed Lex to fall on top of him. With his free hand, he opened a compartment on his throne and quickly injected her to the neck. Lex felt a split second of betrayal and then slumped, as she fell asleep. The Prince carried Lex off the throne and laid her down on the floor. The Prince eyed Lex's naked body for a short while, and then put his belt back on.

"I know. You were always mine," the Prince said.

* * *

Lex woke up with a splitting headache and back pain. She realized that she had been sleeping on the hard floor the whole night. The Prince was on his throne looking at the visual monitor while stealing glances at her every so often. Lex checked herself and realized her clothes were gone.

"What happened, last night?" Lex asked. The details seemed fuzzy to her after the party.

"You attempted to kill me. It was not the first time, and probably won't be the last," the Prince said.

"Why am I naked?" Lex wondered.

"You found it too hot and your bed too soft for your liking," the Prince said amused.

"Did we?" Lex asked fearing the answer.

"Yes, and under Yautja law you are now my mate for as long as we both shall live," the Prince lied.

Lex gave the Prince a horrified look. "How could anyone prove we had sex?" she doubted.

"There is DNA evidence of my seed inside your body, and if you become pregnant that would confirm the analysis further," the Prince said casually.

Lex's mind went into panic mode, as she realized what she had done. Her memory of what had happened last night was starting to come back to her. "I can't believe…," she muttered.

The Prince chuckled amused. "No, we did not mate."

Lex immediately felt relief go through her, and the Prince noticed it. "If you decide to take my offer, you will do so while completely sober and sound of mind," the Prince said. "Now, dress yourself appropriately in formal wear. We will be leaving for Yautja Prime soon," the Prince ordered.

* * *

Lex wore a red hand me down dress from one of the Prince's wives. The Prince had a collection of his wives' things in case any of them were to accompany him on his hunting trips. Once he saw her in his wife's dress, he stared longingly at her.

The Duke entered the command deck nodding to Lex and formerly greeting the Prince. He appeared to have an upbeat glow about him no doubt due to a long love session with his wives. "May I accompany you to Yautja Prime? My destination is the same as yours," he requested.

"You may," the Prince allowed.

"How was your evening brother?" the Duke asked, hoping for some juicy details. "Fairly uneventful," he said shooting him down.

"I see. Mine was typical," the Duke said. He wasn't going to brag about his love life if it were to upstage his older brother.

"I'm sure it was," the Prince said doubtfully. The Prince did not approve of the Duke's promiscuous behavior, but that was a role for his father to handle. The Prince then clicked some buttons on his computer console. The ship powered up, and then rose in the air. With a small jolt, the ship shot through the moon's atmosphere and accelerated into space.

"Prepare for interdimensional travel," the Prince said.

The stars suddenly became brighter, and all that could be seen was light through the windows. The stars and their light then became light blue, as the ship headed towards them. Lex looked out the window for what was behind the ship, and saw red starlight, as the ship was moving away from those stars. "We will arrive at Yautja Prime within a Yautja Prime week," the Prince reported.

"I shall wait in my chambers," the Duke said giving the Prince a bow.

* * *

Lex looked out the window on the command deck and saw Yautja Prime for the first time. She read some of the information about the planet on a datapad as part of her education plan the Prince wanted to give her. The planet was 1.5 times the diameter of the Earth, and three times as massive. As a result, she would soon experience gravity stronger than anything she experienced before. The planet also had two moons, both of which were colonized. The planet was in a solar system similar to that of the Earth with a yellow sun although it was a little larger. Unlike Earth with its polar ice caps, Yautja Prime was warm planet-wide.

The sight of the planet filled Lex with awe, as she realized she was the first human to have visited multiple worlds. The outpost was her first planet, but that was merely a truck stop compared to this planet. This was the source of Yautja civilization. She could see the green oceans of the planet although they were smaller in size proportionately to that of the Earth. She could see the cloud formations, some of which resembled hurricanes.

The ship descended gracefully into the atmosphere, and then landed on a landing pad next to a large city. The ship opened up allowing the Prince and Lex to exit the ship. Immediately, she felt the difference in the air. The ship had artificially produced air common for the Yautja, but this was different. Her lungs were filled with the air, and immediately she felt energized. The gravity and atmospheric pressure were stronger, but nothing her frame couldn't handle.

Looking around, she saw the city in the distance. The skyscrapers were massive and taller than anything she had seen on Earth. Looking behind her, she saw the green ocean sending large waves crashing against the coast. She could see what resembled ships on the sea. There were a number of flying ships in the air, and the sky was orange with white clouds. She saw the bright sun high in the sky and figured it was around noon.

A platoon size force of Yautja was on the scene to greet the two Princes, as they exited the ship. The Royal Guards meanwhile worked to unpack the ship. "Shall we go?" the Prince asked rhetorically to her as their ride came up.


	13. The Wives

The Prince and Lex went through the Yautja Prime airport and headed towards the security center. Lex saw some of the signs that were in red symbols indicating arrivals and destinations. Upon reaching the security desk, the Prince took out a metal card. The Security Chief processed the card and gave it back to the Prince.

"Welcome back Prince," the Security Chief said pleasantly.

"I don't have one of those," Lex said when asked for hers.

"I can vouch for her," the Prince said authoritatively.

"We can process her identity by taking her fingerprints," the Security Chief said, and then directed Lex to a pad on the desk.

Lex placed her hand on the pad and immediately the computer processed her identity. The Security Chief reviewed her file briefly and frowned at what he saw. "There is a warrant out for the female in a civil suit," the Security Chief informed them.

"What does this suit contain?" the Prince asked.

"It is a wrongful death suit. I have no other details, but she is wanted by the Court for trial," the Security Chief said.

"She will come with me immediately to the court," the Prince promised.

The Security Chief cleared her, and the two of them exited the airport. "I'm being sued?" Lex wondered.

"We will determine the details of the case at the Court," the Prince said unconcerned, and then pointed to their vehicle.

The vehicle hovered above the ground like a hovercraft Lex had seen in science fiction movies. It was black in color and shaped like a jet so that it could easily cut through the air. The back doors of the craft opened, and the two went inside. The vehicle was fairly comfortable on the inside contrasting greatly with the metallic ships she had been on.

"The court," the Prince ordered the driver.

* * *

Lex felt a smooth acceleration, as the vehicle picked up speed on the magnetic highways. The vehicles around her were all connected to a magnetic grid making them accelerate at speeds similar to a bullet train. Magnetically repellant to each other, the vehicles would never hit each other. Looking around, Lex saw Yautja of both genders walking casually on the metallic sidewalks. They were wearing robes similar in style to what she had seen in India. For the first time, she saw Yautja children being accompanied by their parents.

Other than the modern style of the city, she noticed that everything was perfectly clean. There was no poverty or any kind of pollution. Everyone was dressed the same giving Lex the impression that the poor did not exist. She looked up at the sky and yet could not see the top of the skyscrapers. Eventually, they made it to the Court building, but it did not have the Roman style pillars she was accustomed to. The building was a large dome similar to what she saw on the outpost.

The vehicle came to an easy stop, and the Prince instructed the driver to stick around. The two of them entered the building and approached the clerk's desk. "I wish to inquire about the lawsuit against this female," the Prince said to the clerk.

"Place your hand on this pad," the clerk instructed Lex.

Lex placed her hand on the pad as before, and the clerk quickly read her file. "The case was filed soon after she was acquitted of criminal charges on one of our outposts. She was to come back to the Court after her mission was completed," the clerk said.

"That mission became complicated," the Prince explained.

"She is being sued in civil court for the wrongful death of a warrior on Earth. She is charged with aiding humans, engaging in unauthorized combat with the warrior, and directly leading to the warrior's untimely death," the clerk said.

The Prince looked over the file on a datapad and then gave it back to the clerk. "The female will be in my custody for the time being, and my lawyers will contact the Court on resolving this issue," the Prince said.

"We will notify the family of the deceased that she is here on Yautja Prime," the clerk said.

* * *

The Prince then placed a device on his ear hole that assembled into a small satellite dish. "I require your services on a legal matter. It is a wrongful death civil suit," the Prince said.

"No, it wasn't me this time," the Prince said amused.

"Good, I will see you soon," the Prince said, and then hung up.

The Prince took the device off his ear and placed it in his pocket. "That was a satellite receiver that allows me to communicate with anyone on the planet, and any of our ships," the Prince explained.

"So, what happens to me now?" Lex wondered feeling distressed. "I'm broke."

"This case gives us the opportunity to make new case law concerning alien species who have become Yautja citizens," the Prince said.

Lex wasn't too enthused about making new case law in Yautja courts. "Similar to your legal system, there are criminal and civil penalties for crimes. You were acquitted of criminal charges due to your ignorance, but now you are being sued by the family of the warrior for civil damages. Like your legal system, the burden of proof will be lower," the Prince explained.

"So, I'm fucked aren't I," Lex said hopelessly.

"I have in my employ the best lawyers on the planet. In any case, the results should be interesting," the Prince said.

The Prince and Lex entered the vehicle and took off towards the center of the city. "Go to the rehabilitation square," the Prince ordered. He then turned to Lex who gave a confused expression. "In our legal system, a citizen is punished by fines, physical discipline, psychological rehabilitation, exile, and execution."

"You don't have prisons?" Lex wondered.

"Prisons are inefficient and counter-productive. Our ways are more effective in reducing crime, as well as preserving the honor of the criminals," the Prince said.

"What if an innocent person is wrongfully convicted?" Lex questioned.

"That is highly improbable with our memory scanners and lie detectors," the Prince said. "Your legal system works to undermine the truth. Criminals are not required to testify against themselves, lawyers work to acquit their client at all costs, and ignorant people choose whether the criminal is guilty or not. And if the criminal is found guilty, he may appeal the ruling and become free on a technicality. Your system has little trust in your institutions," the Prince observed.

"Well, it is better that one hundred guilty people be free than one innocent person should be punished wrongfully," Lex quoted.

"Unless, of course, those one hundred guilty people kill, maim, rape, and rob several hundred innocent people during their lifetime," the Prince countered.

The vehicle came to a stop at the rehabilitation square. A crowd had already formed, as the two got out. The Prince easily made his way through the crowd to get a better view. The convicted criminal was escorted to a pillar and chained up. The criminal only had ragged shorts on exposing his back. The guards then hit the criminal to the back with rods counting each time they did. Lex watched, as the criminal was beaten on the shoulders, arms, and then his legs. The criminal fell to his knees while hanging from his arms. The guards continued to beat the criminal until their count was complete. When they were finished, they released the criminal.

The guards then assisted the criminal to his feet, and then lowered him underneath the floor out of sight by the crowd. "That's barbaric," Lex said disgustedly.

"It works for us," the Prince replied. "The criminal will then be released, and remain a productive citizen of society."

"And what was his crime?" Lex asked.

"He committed an assault," the Prince said vaguely.

"I still don't like it," Lex muttered.

"That is because you associate the punishment with periods in your history where justice was not fairly given," the Prince said.

"What would have been my fate if I had been convicted?" Lex asked.

"You would have been exiled and hunted down," the Prince said. "However, you were not convicted, because our system would not have allowed you to."

The Prince and Lex made their way through the dispersing crowd to their vehicle. "Take me to the residence," the Prince ordered.

* * *

The vehicle quickly sped through the magnetic highways, and then exited on a path that led towards the outside of the city up the hills towards the mountains. Although the planet received more heat from its star than the Earth, the planet also had fairly high mountain ranges. The temperature started to drop with higher elevation. The Prince's house came into view, and it was obvious to Lex that it was the size of a mansion. It was metallic in appearance that reflected sunlight off it. It was three stories with a large courtyard in front. The vehicle parked in front of the mansion, and the two exited the vehicle.

The Prince gave a few words to the driver, and then he disappeared down the street. The Prince then turned to Lex. "This is one of my homes," he introduced.

"Very nice," Lex said, and then stared at the fountain statue of a Yautja with a spear through a Xenomorph's head. Water came out of the Xenomorph's mouth into the fountain pool. Otherwise, there was nothing too disturbing about the outside of the house.

"Shall we go inside," the Prince invited.

Lex decided to trust the Prince once more. If he wanted to harm her, he had plenty of opportunities to do it already. The Prince invited her into his garage filled with vehicles of various designs. One of which was a Harley Davidson Fatboy, and there was also a number of sports cars. "How?" Lex wondered confused.

"I do compliment some of your vehicle designs. I feel great satisfaction driving a petroleum-fueled vehicle where the engine is designed by exploiting controlled explosions," the Prince said of his cars.

Lex considered asking the story behind his human car collection but thought better of it. The Prince motioned for her to go further inside the mansion. The doors electronically moved back once he placed his card in the door. Once inside, Lex saw a long hallway filled with Yautja statues on either side of her. The room slightly spooked her, as she saw them all with spears and plasma cannons aimed at them. The room was well lit and cool.

Exiting the hallway, they found themselves in a large living room that was shaped like a dome. Royal Guards then decloaked surrounding them. Then six female Yautjas came down the stairs to greet the Prince. They were dressed in robes of different colors; the oldest of them was dressed in black. The first two who appeared to be the youngest knelt down low bowing their heads to the Prince. They then looked up and walked to the side of the room. The next two approached the Prince, and they too knelt down to the Prince. Once they had left, one of the wives came forth and knelt down to the Prince. He in turn lifted her head allowing her to rise to his level. The two nodded to each other, and then she departed from him to the side of the room. Finally, the last wife slowly approached the Prince and bowed her head to him. He in turn bowed his head to her. Unlike the other wives, she stayed with the Prince. Lex could tell that she was the first wife of the six by her appearance and expression.

"You brought another one?" she asked amused.

"She is merely a student," the Prince downplayed.

The first wife circled Lex as if examining her. After inspecting her, she realized something was off. "Your skin pattern is a combination of different clans. She is a genetic experiment?" the wife guessed.

"Very good," the Prince complimented.

The wife held Lex's chin, and moved her head from side to side, as she examined her. "What were you once called?" she asked.

"Alexa, Lex for short," Lex answered.

"The feminine form of Alexander, like the one mentioned in the classics," the wife said intrigued. "You must have an interesting story to tell human."

"She does indeed," the Prince agreed.

"What is your wish my Prince?" she asked turning away from Lex.

"She shall remain here until she can properly assimilate into our society. As for me, I have been in the field for months and desire rest," the Prince said.

"You shall have your rest after you have completed your duty to me," the wife said suggestively but with mock authority.

Lex stared as the two interacted with each other; the first wife seemed to have a unique power over the Prince. "I shall comply of course," he said to her.

The Prince then turned to his other wives and then motioned for some to come to him. His fifth and sixth wives bowed to the Prince, as they approached him. "Take her to a prepared room," the Prince ordered them. He then turned to Lex. "Get some rest, and my servants will make sure you make all of your appointments."

* * *

The two wives gave Lex curious looks and then motioned for her to follow. Lex didn't know enough about the Yautjas to make an accurate guess, but she figured these two wives were younger than her by a few years. They walked up a number of stairs to the second floor, and then more stairs to the third floor. They then walked down a hallway and then opened one of the doors by punching in the combination on the door. Opening the door, Lex saw a comfortable looking room. The room itself was the size of her apartment back on Earth with a large bedroom, a living room, and a bathroom. The only thing that detracted from the room were some of the skull trophies of wild beasts on the wall. Thankfully none of the skulls were human or else she would have to remove them.

"Do you approve?" Talutah asked.

"It's very nice," Lex said, as she looked through all the rooms.

Talutah sat on a couch while Kachina toured the house with Lex. "The water temperature is voice command, so if you desire it hotter or cooler you merely have to say it," she said to Lex.

"On," Lex said to the shower, and immediately water started pouring. "Off," Lex commanded, and the water stopped.

"If you need to increase or decrease the temperature in the room, you can change the settings here," Kachina pointed out the device.

Lex fiddled with the red symbols on the device, and then put the temperature at the equivalent temperature of 70F. Princess (6) eyed Talutah as Lex worked the thermostat to her liking. "Earth must be colder than here," Kachina speculated.

"It depends. In some places, ice covers the surface permanently, and in other places, deserts can extend for thousands of miles with no rainfall for years. This place reminds me of the tropics," Lex commented.

"Activate hologram of Earth," Talutah ordered a projector on a table.

The projector showed an image of the Earth with the moon rotating around it. "With the oceans so large, the weather must be more extreme than here," Talutah speculated.

Lex shrugged and then opened a closet filled with dresses. She wondered if t-shirts and pants were too radical for the Prince's tastes. She opened the second closet and found her armor, but her weapons were missing. "You have killed?" Kachina asked.

"Yes, quite a few," Lex said softly.

Her lack of enthusiasm for killing was easily detected by the two wives. "We will need to get some rest," Talutah excused herself.

"Thank you for everything," Lex said graciously.

The two wives exited the room, gave Lex a curious glance, and then closed the door. Lex was alone to consider her thoughts. She looked out the window and saw the sun still high. She wondered why the two wives would need rest, and then it hit her. No doubt each wife would take her turn with the Prince during the night. Lex was sure she was against polygamy and feminine submission, but it seemed to work for these people. Considering all the things the Prince had done, polygamy was not much of a big deal.

Lex took off her robes and took a nice bath in the tub. Unlike the ship, not everything in the bathroom was metallic. Resting in her bubble bath, she tried to forget about her troubles.

* * *

The next morning, a guard awoke Lex by knocking on her door. "Be right there!" she shouted at the door. She put on red robes from her closet and was escorted down to the first floor. The Prince was not there to greet her, which concerned her. "After your breakfast, you will be transported to the city," the guard told her.

"I see," she replied.

Breakfast was not the typical orange juice and cereal. Instead, it was an assortment of meats, and milk from some creature she had no idea about. "Our bodies require protein to remain strong," the guard told her upon seeing her dismay.

Lex sat down and looked for a fork. Seeing none, she reached for the meat. Tasting and chewing it, the meat reminded her of fish. The guard watched, as she ate the meat and milk to make her full. "Okay, I'm good," she said.

"This way," the guard led her outside.

* * *

Walking outside, she saw a larger than usual sun appear just over the horizon. She went inside the hovercraft and accelerated down the mountain towards the city. Once she got to her lawyer's office, she approached the clerk at the front desk.

"I'm here for an appointment," Lex said, uncertain of herself.

"Place your hand on the pad," the clerk instructed her.

Lex placed her palm on the pad, and the clerk immediately knew her identity. "He is expecting you," the clerk said. The clerk then led her to the lawyer's office where she waited for attention. The lawyer eventually opened the door for her. "Come in," he said.

Lex went inside the room and noticed how normal it appeared. She didn't see any skull trophies; the room reminded her of the captain's quarters on a ship. It was entirely metallic including the desk and chairs. "Take a seat, Miss Woods," the lawyer smiled at her.

Lex simply stared at him. "I have reviewed your case, and I have contacted the family of the deceased. They are willing to settle for 100 lbs of gold or equivalent currency," the lawyer said.

Lex did some calculations in her head. Gold was around $1000 an oz, so 100 lbs would be $1,600,000. "That's 1.6 million dollars!" Lex expressed her dismay.

The lawyer simply stared at her, as he had no idea what she was talking about. "It is on the high side, but that might have something to do with my employment in this case. Due to my involvement, the family assumes the Prince will pay up on your behalf."

"Yeah right," Lex said scornfully. "I can't afford that kind of money."

"A female of your skill level may possibly receive two lbs of gold a year in this economy. You would work for the family until the debt is paid off," the lawyer explained.

"I would be a slave…for fifty years!" Lex said incredulously.

"Yautja life spans are longer than humans. You will have many more years to live after your debt has been paid off. The family may even forgive your debt for loyal service," the lawyer said.

"There is no way I am going to be an indentured servant for that creature's family for fifty years," Lex refused.

"Our other option is to take it to trial. Of course, if we lose you may have to pay even more in damages at the judge's discretion."

"I think a judge would be fairer than that," Lex said.

"Settlements of this amount are not uncommon, and indentured servants are treated well in our society. That being said, the Prince wishes you to take this case to trial. If taken to trial, it will create new case law that will establish a precedent for your unique situation."

"Are you on his side or mine?" Lex asked annoyed.

"I follow the Prince's instruction to defend you in court. The Prince and I both support your interests," the lawyer said defensively.

"Then I want to take this to trial," Lex decided.

"Very well. The trial will begin in a few week's time. During that time, we will review the events of what happened that led to the warrior's death. I have a strategy in mind that may work in our favor."

"What strategy?"

"I will bring up the biological data collected on the Prince's ship indicating your lack of mental development in several areas of your brain. Despite your transformation, you still have the mental capacity of a human. We will work to prove that you were mentally incapable of knowing the consequences of your actions, as well as being incapable of having empathy for your species."

"You're going to argue that I am retarded?"

"No, that would be disrespectful towards them," the lawyer said. "We will also prove that the warrior went to Earth of his own volition, and took many risks while present there. We can thus establish the argument that he was literally asking the gods to strike him down due to the risks he took. We will also attempt to downplay your actions in his demise. We will also hope to shame the family by implying their son or husband was defeated by the likes of you," the lawyer continued.

"You're making me look bad here," Lex said annoyed.

"Exactly. The more pathetic, ignorant, and foolish we can make you, the more sympathy we will be able to get from the judge and public opinion."

* * *

Lex left the lawyer's office not too enthused with his services. She was then taken by the driver to conduct a number of tasks. Her first objective was to get her hair treated by a salon. She went inside, and a number of female Yautja's chatting. Upon her entering the room, they stopped talking and stared at her. The driver talked with the salon owner on her behalf.

"Come with me," the salon owner said to her.

Lex was sat down, and immediately they began to work on her. "A male must have done this," the beautician remarked upon seeing her hair. Her locks were unbraided, and then her hair was placed in a liquid solution. After a few moments of that, the beauticians cut her damaged hair and began the process of tightly braiding her hair. Using a tool, they twisted her hair as tight as they could. Lex tensed up, as she felt a painful sensation from her scalp. She felt like they were ripping the hair from her head. Once they were done twisting, they carefully placed golden locks to keep her hair in place. After they were done, Lex looked in the mirror.

Lex wasn't so sure about this hairstyle all Yautjas seemed to have. She wondered if she could experiment with her hair by having it flow down her shoulders, tie it in a bun, or cut it short. "It is acceptable," the driver said.

* * *

After leaving the salon, Lex was driven to a clinic. As before on the outpost, a doctor checked her vitals and gave her a detailed analysis. Another brain scan was done on her, but unlike before the doctor noticed a few changes in her brain activity. "There is increased activity here," the doctor pointed out.

"What does that part do?" Lex asked.

"It is the part of the brain that desires to mate," the doctor answered.

The doctor then conducted blood tests. He showed her a visual image of her DNA on a hologram. "Your DNA still has human genes, but they have all been turned off. Your replacement genes are all functioning correctly," the doctor pointed out.

"What would happen if I had conceived?" Lex wondered.

"The male's genes would be dominant against the human genes, but there is the possibility of mutation. I would not advise it," the doctor said.

"What could happen?"

"The child could have serious birth defects. For example, it may not grow its mandibles," the doctor warned.

* * *

With her tasks completed, Lex went back to the mansion. The Prince awaited her return as the driver came up to the garage. Once Lex exited the vehicle, the Prince circled her as if inspecting her. Nodding, he allowed the driver to leave.

"Your hair looks civilized," he complimented.

"Thanks, I guess," Lex said awkwardly.

"Come inside," he invited.

"How was last night?" Lex asked mischievously.

"As could be expected," the Prince replied.

Lex decided to drop the issue. "So, how do I address your wives?"

"You do not even address me properly," the Prince reminded her.

"Your wives don't go around killing people, and unleashing monsters," Lex pointed out.

"That you know of. Don't underestimate my wives," the Prince warned.

The Prince took a seat on a couch, and Lex was obliged to sit across from him on the floor. "How did you meet your first wife?" Lex asked boldly.

"We were arranged to be married when we were young. Her parents were favored by the King, my father. So, it was made certain that we were at social functions during my childhood years. Seeing as how our marriage was inevitable, we decided to make the most of our relationship. Our attempt was successful, and we discovered we have great compatibility."

"Are all marriages arranged?" Lex asked.

"It is very common, but not always the case. My second wife was the result of an affair I had. Once she became pregnant, our marriage was required," the Prince reflected.

"You cheated and your wife didn't dump you?" Lex asked rudely.

"Dump a Prince? I do regret the decisions I made in my youth but this is very common in the nobility. After the marriage of my second wife, I always asked my first wife's permission on all of my affairs. My third wife was a true love affair. She wasn't aware I was a Prince, at the time, but she accepted me none-the-less. With my first wife's blessing, I married her a few years ago," the Prince continued.

"And the fourth, fifth, and sixth?" Lex listed off.

"The fourth was an abandoned orphan I took in. The fifth was a political arrangement between myself and a noble on one of our moons. The sixth was a dancer at a popular club my friends and I would often visit," the Prince concluded.

Lex gave a flustered look, as she felt disagreeable to the whole notion. "Before you make judgments, why don't you talk to my wives about how they feel about our arrangement?"

* * *

Lex toured the house while the Prince relaxed with his second wife. She entered the basement of the mansion and found a workshop of a sort. An unfinished vehicle was being constructed; Lex could see the inner workings of the engine. She then saw a wall filled with different tools, some of which were heavy-duty saws designed to cut through metal. On the worktable were some unfinished blades and armor parts.

Lex continued her tour of the room and saw a wall hosting a number of different masks. Some of them were smaller indicating a feminine face. She saw one in particular with acid marks edged into the forehead of one of the masks. She reached out for the mask and looked it over. It appeared similar to the mask Scar wore. She placed the mask back and looked over the weapons. There were different kinds of spears, shurikens, blades, bows and arrows, and knives. She also saw a wall filled with human-constructed swords featuring English broadswords and Japanese katana blades.

She then looked over at the more technical equipment. This wall was filled with plasma cannons, plasma rifles, net guns, and to her surprise a collection of human weapons including an M-16 rifle, an AK-47 rifle, 45 Cal pistol, an MP5 machine gun, and an old mini-gun. There were other devices Lex believed to be grenades, traps, and a metal Frisbee. Lex picked up the strange weapon and immediately it became active in her hand. She carefully placed it down and walked away from the table.

In the corner was a plasma television with a spear through it. Lex wondered about it and then felt something off about the room. She turned around and saw a masked female Yautja appear in front of her. "Hello," Lex said lamely.

She extended her blades and charged her at a fast speed. Lex took the spear in the television and used it to defend herself. The Yautja clashed with her spear with her blades creating sparks. Lex had some practice while on the ship on the trip back home after her last failure with the Prince. She went on the offensive pushing the female back. She whirled the spear forcing the female to move from side to side. The female then hooked her blades around the edge of the spear stopping Lex's advance. The two struggled, but Lex could tell the female was weaker than the Prince. She pushed the female to the ground with her spear. But the female immediately kicked her spear up out of her hands. The spear fell to the ground out of each other's reach.

The female then retracted her blades and charged her. She expertly moved from side to side making her unpredictable. She raised her leg and balanced it on her hand to kick her. Lex barely blocked the kick that was directed at her head. The female quickly rotated her hips and kicked Lex back with her other foot. Lex lowered herself, as she tried to block the more flexible female. The female quickly rotated on her foot and kicked Lex's ankle tripping her up. The female pointed to the spear, and immediately the spear flew through the air into her hand. She stabbed down on Lex, but she moved out of the way just in time.

Lex grabbed the spear and then hit the female hard with her shoulder with the force of a football player. The female fell to the ground with a thud on the metal floor. Lex readied her spear but did not advance on her. The female quickly got to her feet and started to laugh eerily. She pointed her hand at the spear, and it immediately ripped out of Lex's hands into her hands. She then took off her mask revealing she was one of the Prince's wives.

"Not bad," Urikia said exhilarated, and then placed her mask and spear to their proper places.

"What was that all about?" Lex asked peeved.

"Just a little sparing. I haven't had one in a good while. Unlike the other females, you actually thought I was going to kill you. That makes the fight interesting," she said. She then took off her gloves and placed them on the table. "These have powerful magnets inside them," she revealed.

"I'll be sure to return the favor," Lex said irritably.

"Or maybe I should kill you now and avoid the competition for my husband's affections," she said darkly and then reached for a Japanese katana blade.

Lex tensed up ready for another fight. "No, I would lose favor with him if I did that," she said casually. She brought the sword over to Lex. "What do you think? Is it authentic?" she asked.

Lex reluctantly took the sword and looked it over. "I am not expert in swords. It looks similar enough," she said and slowly gave the sword back.

"I forged it myself. Everything you see was built by me. I build his armor, masks, weapons, and vehicles. Some of the vehicles he took from Earth were challenging to fix. I spent a month fixing his motorcycle," she said.

"You are a mechanic?" Lex wondered.

"The Prince didn't just select me, because he felt sorry for me. I scored well on the understanding of mechanics. This whole room is my domain. I build him weapons, and he uses them," she said. "So, why did he select you?" she asked curiously.

"He hasn't selected me to do anything. But I think he's interested in me because of my connection to humanity and Earth," Lex assumed.

"That would be useful to him. He likes to visit Earth frequently for his hunts. I had to adapt to human weapons when I constructed his armor and masks. Want to assist me?" she asked.

"I'll pass," Lex replied.

She gave Lex a bored look and then walked towards her unfinished vehicle. Lex looked over her shoulder curiously as she worked on the vehicle. "Can you give me some of those tools?" Urikia asked.

Lex lifted a toolbox filled with tools; a weight she would never be able to pick up as a human, and placed in next to her. The princess considered the collection of tools and took one of them out. She pointed the device at a piece of equipment, and immediately a laser pierced the air. Lex watched, as she expertly welded metal pieces together. She then reached for another tool that stripped wires similar to what was on Earth only they looked silver.

"Silver?" Lex wondered.

"It has the best electrical conductivity, and he wants the best," she said.

Lex was hit with the realization of how rich the Prince was if he was using silver as wiring in his floating cars. "Does this vehicle have a cloak?" Lex asked.

"That is illegal…but yes," she said amused.

"Tell me what vehicles are like on Earth," she requested.

"Most cars run on gasoline and use four wheels on a street," Lex began.

"Gasoline is a fossil fuel, a refined flammable liquid that is used for combustion?" she asked.

"Something like that," Lex confirmed.

"And there isn't a grid that regulates the vehicles on the streets?" she asked, as she continued to install more equipment into the vehicle.

"No, everyone drives as safe as they can. Sometimes there are wrecks and people get killed," Lex answered.

"So, humans drive vehicles that are operated by the combustion of flammable liquid and drive on streets of continuous peril. It sounds primitive, but I like it," she said.

* * *

The princess and Lex finished their work on the Prince's vehicle and then took their leave. Urikia was covered in metallic ash so she went back to her own quarters. Lex wandered about the palace until she discovered another princess looking at a hologram globe of the planet. Talutah noticed her presence and gestured for her to come forth.

"This is Yautja Prime, the home planet of the empire," she said.

Lex stared at the hologram globe and saw distinct lines on the surface. "These are the borders for the individual districts. At one time they were kingdoms, but now the planet is united under one sovereign. Still, the Princes rule over these districts like the Kings of old," the Princess said.

"How do these princes rule?" Lex wondered.

"Their rule is indirect and symbolic. The districts are controlled by councils elected by people eligible to vote."

"Like a democracy?"

"No, only those who purchase stock in the government may vote. Those with more stock have more voting power and the princes tend to have the most wealth. In some districts, a prince may have 51% of all the wealth in the government pool," she explained.

"So, the poor don't get to vote?" Lex asked; the thought seemed horrifying.

"Not if they do not buy stock. Only those who have a stake in the success of the government are allowed to play a part as a political actor. Why should those who have no stake be allowed to make decisions that affect us all?" she said.

"They do have a stake. Without the government they won't be able to advance or feed their families," Lex said.

"The government has never provided for such things. Those who do not work will not be paid," she said.

"What about the elderly and the disabled?" Lex asked.

"Before they become destitute and dishonored by their family, these individuals go on a last hunt they know they cannot succeed. And they never return alive," the princess revealed.

"That's wrong," Lex objected.

"The Prince has told me about your political system. The strong support the weak and, in return, the weak demand more and they reproduce at a faster rate. So, the strong pay more and more until finally, they refuse to give any more. And then the weak rise up in superior numbers, and they take from the strong all that they have, and then everyone becomes weak. Your species has no sense of honor. It is better to die with respect than to become a parasite," she said cruelly.

"The strong manipulate the weak. They force them to fight in their wars for profit," Lex shot back.

"You assume that I have any compliments for the strong among humans," she replied.

"Well, you're one of the strong, but you never earned it," Lex accused.

Talutah was on her in a flash with blades at her throat. Royal Guards then appeared out of cloak surrounding them. The princess eyed them and then retracted her blades. "Another time, perhaps," she said and then stalked off.


	14. The Lawsuit

The Prince and his first wife joined hands in a large ballroom in the house. The curtains were drawn back so that the moonlight could flow in. "It has been too long," his wife said, as they embraced.

"Have the others been good to you?" the Prince asked referring to his other wives.

"Yes, but nothing compares to a male like yourself," she said. The two extended their mandibles and kissed.

"I have a proposition, but I need your consent. The female I brought to the house has qualities I wish to see reproduced," he said diplomatically.

The two danced slowly in the ballroom, as they talked. "What kind of qualities?" his wife wondered.

"She has human DNA in her system. It has been coated with Yautja DNA transforming her body. Her offspring would have that DNA in them," the Prince explained.

"Why does human DNA interest you? Why not mate with a hound?" she asked.

The Prince twirled his wife so that they both walked backward and forwards in the same direction. His hand rested on her breasts and abdomen sending shivers through her body. She moaned in pleasure at his touch and lost herself briefly. "Humans are hunters as well. They can evolve to better themselves. Our race needs more diversity," the Prince said.

"Didn't you just come from killing diversity?" she asked referring to the Black Yautja.

"The Black Yautjas were my enemy because they wanted to take the system for themselves," the Prince said.

"Whatever that female reproduces may not be to your liking?" she warned.

"I'll take my chances," the Prince said confidently.

"Do you find her attractive?" she asked.

"My senses are conflicted. She is a mixture of a number of diverse Yautja races. I am attracted to you because your appearance is safe, normal, and dependable. I am attracted to her because she is so exotic," he said.

"She does look younger than me," she said and then broke away from him so that they faced each other.

"You will always be my first wife. What is mine is yours including her. Command her how you wish and if you feel ill will towards me make her your slave," he said.

"I already have too many slaves. You don't need my permission to marry her," she said, as they continued to dance.

"I don't require it, but I desire it," the Prince replied.

"Then you have my permission on one condition," she said.

"What condition?" the Prince asked curiously. "A new house, a ship, a vehicle?"

"I want another baby," she said and then gave him a kiss.

"That I can do," he agreed.

"Good, and I want her flesh before you do. I want to know if she can serve you well enough or if she will require training," she requested.

"Make sure she is ready," the Prince agreed.

"You have my consent, my prince," she said finally and the two then went to their chambers.

* * *

After nearly having her throat slit by one of the Prince's wives, Lex ventured to another section of the palace. She went through a swing door and was immediately confronted with a strange creature. Lex backed away until she noticed something familiar about it. The creature had a big forehead and small mandibles. Lex also noticed that the creature's hair was tightly braided like her own. She didn't realize it at first but the creature was a baby Yautja.

"Bring him to me," Aylen ordered a maidservant.

Lex looked up and saw the three wives sitting in thrones in what could only be described as a large daycare center. Lex scanned the room and saw a dozen children walking about. Some of the older children were playing with toys that were replicas of space ships. Other children were braiding each other's hair. Others seemed to be wrestling with each other on a mat closely supervised by one of the wives. The youngest ones were closest to the wives; some of which were nursing.

"Come," Makawee ordered her.

Lex felt obliged to comply with the senior wife. "In my presence, you will come forth and kneel before me," she ordered.

Lex hesitated but did as she was told. "Good," Makawee said, and then got up from her throne. She carried an infant in her arms, as they walked around the center.

"All of the children are raised here," Makawee said of everything.

Lex looked around and saw some of the children in front of computer screens. She also saw maidservants talking with the children while others were playing games. For Lex, the creatures were innocent when they were young. She knew that in a short time all of them would eventually be killers. But for the time being, they were just children acting normal. "A pregnancy lasts for fifteen months and then the child is nursed for several months afterward," Makawee explained.

Makawee then turned to Nizhoni. "Bring me one of your youngest to me," she ordered.

There seemed to be tension between the two, but Nizhoni complied. She brought her daughter in her arms to Makawee. The first wife then turned to Lex, "Remove the garments around your breasts."

Lex decided not to argue with her and lowered her garment down to her around her waist. Makawee seemed to inspect Lex and then placed her hands on her breasts. Lex tensed up, as Makawee sensed her firmness. "She will do. Give her the child," Makawee ordered Nizhoni.

Nizhoni complied giving Lex the child. Lex was not accustomed to carrying infants, especially alien monster infants. "Nurse the child," Makawee ordered.

"I don't know if I can," Lex protested.

"We will know one way or the other," Makawee insisted.

Lex moved the child's jaws to her breast and hoped it wouldn't bite her. The child seemed to know what to do more than she did. The infant's mandibles became extended and then wrapped around her nipple. Lex felt a sucking sensation, as the infant tried to take milk from her. The two wives watched closely, as Lex struggled with the infant. Finally, Lex felt a surge of pleasure as a milky liquid leaked into the infant's mouth.

"It appears to be working. You will report to me every morning and, in time, your breasts will become fuller," Makawee ordered.

* * *

After being released by the first wife, Lex went back to her quarters and stayed there. Going out to explore the palace was causing her more grief than she needed. She decided to take a shower and take a nap. As she was drying off, Kachina entered her room.

Lex quickly covered herself with her towel, but Kachina didn't seem disturbed. "I thought it was locked," Lex said embarrassed.

"It was, but I have the combination to your room," Kachina said.

Lex simply stared at Kachina wondering if she wanted to fight or do something weirder. "You are in my charge. What you do reflects on me now," she said.

Kachina seemed to stare at Lex as if she was looking her over. "You may not be aware of the genetic diversity in our clans, but you are very different from what is typical in this city," she said.

"Oh, well, humans have different races, too," Lex said still embarrassed.

"Yes, those closer to the equator have darker skin than those towards the poles. What was your skin before you changed?" she asked.

"I was black…what I mean is that my skin was dark brown," Lex said.

"Did you identify with your tribe?" Kachina asked curiously.

"I wasn't really part of a tribe. I was part of a nation of many tribes, and we all worked together towards a common goal," Lex explained.

"We have found it easier to simply segregate the different tribes so that each one can practice their own customs," Kachina said.

"How will those tribes be exposed to other cultures then?" Lex asked.

"If every clan was exposed to every culture, they would eventually become one clan and their diversity would be lost. You say you are black? You mean you were from the African continent?" Kachina asked.

"My ancestors did," Lex confirmed.

"Which nation or empire in Africa? What tribe were your ancestors from? What cultures from your tribe do you practice?" she pressed.

"I don't know," Lex said flustered.

"There appears to be a cost to your diversity," Kachina remarked.

"I don't think that's fair," Lex protested.

"I don't mean to anger you. I am here to help you. Get dressed and follow me to my room," she said.

* * *

Lex got dressed while Kachina watched. Apparently, privacy wasn't much of a concern for these aliens. Finally dressed, she followed Kachina to her room.

Lex was led inside the Princess' room and found an entirely different style. There were a number of artifacts from different worlds, some trophy skulls, and a dance floor of a sort. As they entered, Kachina motioned for the guards to go outside.

"Have some fruit," Kachina said and then grabbed one for her.

Lex took the fruit cautiously and gave it a bite. It tasted sweet and so she ate the rest of it. "You practice dance here?" Lex asked referring to the floor.

"Yes, it is my passion. Do you?" she asked.

"Not very much," Lex admitted.

"Maybe I will teach you," Kachina considered.

After finishing the fruit, Lex immediately felt something wrong. It was if she had become suddenly intoxicated. She took a seat on the couch to steady herself. Kachina advanced on Lex noticing her change. "These fruits are natural aphrodisiacs for us. You are already experiencing the effects," she said amused.

Kachina took a bite into the fruit as well. "I have built a tolerance for them since being exposed to them. I wonder how it must feel for someone like you."

"You tricked me," Lex accused.

"We all have our duties. I am in charge of training you for the Prince, and I didn't think you would agree voluntarily. Even if your technique is sloppy, you are strong for a female," she said.

"What duty is that?" Lex asked.

"What do you think we do with ourselves when the Prince is gone for months or years? We have needs too of course. When you join this family, you are mated not just to the Prince but to everyone in the marriage," Kachina explained.

Lex wasn't sure she understood. Her muscles had become relaxed and her vision was out of focus. "It is one of the reasons why a Prince must ask his first wife permission to mate with another. If you become the Prince's seventh wife, you will become subordinate to all the other wives as well," Kachina continued.

The Princess then lowered herself to the couch towards Lex. As she lowered her hand to Lex's garments, Lex took control of Kachina's wrist. The two briefly fought for control, but Kachina was able to escape. "You are a strong one," she remarked.

Kachina then quickly shot towards Lex's garments pulling Lex closer to her. With her other hand, she went inside Lex's garments. Lex felt a sudden reaction as Kachina expertly touched all the right spots. She stopped resisting and allowed Kachina to undress her. Lex squirmed on the couch as Kachina continued her movements.

"I have become quite experienced these many months. Now, come with me," Kachina pulled Lex off the couch.

Lex stumbled away from Kachina, but there was no escape. Kachina casually walked over to Lex and guided her to the bedroom. Finally, Kachina pushed Lex onto the bed and undressed.

* * *

The next morning, Lex and the Prince took a shuttlecraft to forests outside the city. Lex could see the magnetic highways leading to and from the city. The shuttle landed near an outpost tower. She looked around and saw high fences that were metallic. There were symbols on the fence, and immediately her translator interpreted them as "Danger: Electrical Shock." The preserve reminded her of the movie Jurassic Park only the people here seemed to know what they were doing.

"How was your sleep?" the Prince asked casually.

Lex touched her head to illustrate her headache. She didn't remember everything but what she did was unsettling. She eyed the Prince wondering how much he knew. "Uneventful," she lied.

The Prince bowed his head to her and did not press the issue. The vehicle stopped in front of the command center and the two got out. The Prince walked up to the head administrator and embraced in a friendly hug as if they had known each other for years. "What do you have for me this time?" the administrator asked excitedly.

"I have two humans of breeding age," the Prince said.

The administrator seemed to frown disappointed. "Humans? Why not hunt them like game?" he asked confused.

"The male was injured, and I plan to have the female impregnated soon," the Prince replied. "They know too much about us and can't be allowed to go back to Earth," he added.

"It is unusual. I don't have any humans in the preserve. I don't know how much space they need or what foods are appropriate," the administrator said.

"If they die, you won't be responsible," the Prince assured him. "I have brought a human expert with me," the Prince introduced Lex.

"Glad to have your acquaintance," the administrator said to her.

Lex nodded respectfully but didn't appreciate their conversation. The three went inside the administrator's building where a few other Yautja worked. There was a hologram detailing the entire preserve. It was massive; nearly the same size as Yellowstone National Park. A patch of land was highlighted indicating the area the administrator wanted to place the humans. "Good, if the humans attempt to escape they will be in these areas," the Prince pointed at the map.

"They would not survive long if that happened," the administrator chuckled. "I am certain they will not get past my fences."

"What if they dig underneath the fence?" Lex wondered.

The Prince turned to the administrator for an answer. "The fences go into the ground for (the equivalent of several meters). They are not electrified due to the ground, but they will make it difficult to get past."

The Prince seemed satisfied with this. "They are to be put on the endangered species list until they grow in numbers."

"You intend to hunt them later?" Lex asked stunned.

The two males stared at her. "I want to study their diversity," Lex said lamely.

"It will require a few generations for their numbers to become too large," the administrator told her. "You will need to add more humans or there will be inbreeding," the administrator added.

"Of course. My fiancée will assist in that when the time comes," the Prince said.

The humans were then brought forth into the building chained together. Lex could see Royce limping, as he walked along. Lex felt a wave of guilt, as she realized she was betraying her species. She could easily have been the one in the preserve, and those two in her place. Looking back to them and to herself she believed her life would be better off than theirs. The Yautja inserted a chip into their arms, so they could be tracked at all times. They were then analyzed for any diseases and upon finding none they were sent to the next station. The Yautja pointed out a laser at them and fired.

The laser sliced their clothes off but did not burn their skin. "You're sending them out naked?" Lex wondered.

"All animals in the preserve are naked," the administrator said unconcernedly.

Lex saw the two humans try to cover themselves in embarrassment but eventually got to use to the fact that they were naked in front of alien monsters. Lex could then see the injury she had inflicted on Royce's leg; it was horribly scarred. After the Yautja had tested the humans thoroughly, they were then led by force to a vehicle that resembled a bus. They were taken away and were gone.

"It reminds me of the myth of your creation. They will be naked without shame in a beautiful garden filled with fruits," the Prince said.

"I doubt it will be that tranquil for them," Lex said conflicted.

"Nature shall take its course," the Prince said, and then turned to the administrator, "Inform me of any developments. If the female is not impregnated within a few months, the male will be terminated and replaced," he ordered.

"As you wish, Prince," he replied.

* * *

Kachina came into the court of Makawee and knelt down as she entered. "What is your progress?" Makawee asked of her.

"She was too drugged for me to teach her anything. Yet, I believe I am breaking down her resistance," Kachina reported.

"Be delicate with her. She does not know our ways," Makawee ordered.

"My persuasion will not fail," Kachina promised.

As Kachina left the courtroom, Makawee turned to an empty space and motioned with her hand. Kachina walked down the halls and upstairs to Lex's room. She had already been told that she had come back from the game preserve. Kachina wondered to herself the difference between this human turned Yautja and the humans placed in the preserve. As she entered Lex's room, she didn't see anyone there. Looking around, she eventually caught a blur out of the corner of her eye.

Kachina was suddenly shoved across the room knocking over the couch. Lex was on her immediately pinning the princess to the wall. Kachina resisted kicking Lex back, but Lex kept up the attacks. Kachina barely dodged Lex's furious punches but tripped over a small table. Lex kicked the table away blasting it apart and then grabbing ahold of Kachina. The two stared at each other briefly and then Lex threw her against the bed.

Kachina quickly got up before a punch blasted the frame of the bed. Lex quickly wrapped drapes around Kachina's head and then slammed her into the furniture within the room. Lex spun Kachina around and then slammed her into the bedroom wall. It crashed open sending Kachina to the floor. Using her claws, Kachina sliced up the drapes around her face and tossed it aside. Lex did a swinging kick forcing Kachina back on a small table. The table and glass collapsed on impact as Kachina hit. The princess was on the ground stunned wondering if Lex was truly fighting her or if this was some sort of physical game. Disoriented, she slowly got back to her feet. Lex grabbed her by her braided hair and then placed her in a hold.

"Not a fair contest," Kachina protested.

"Wasn't supposed to be," Lex replied back. She was feeling an intense adrenalin rush from the fight as she tossed the princess around like a rag doll.

"What do you want?" Kachina gasped.

Lex pulled down on Kachina's scalp forcing her to her knees before her. "How undignified," a voice said from nowhere.

Lex and Kachina looked around and saw Talutah casually leaning against the wall. "Help me," Kachina pleaded.

"I don't know what he sees in you," Talutah said of her. She then turned to Lex, "Release her."

Lex hesitated to do so. "I have some issues to work out with her," she said.

Talutah sighed. "Very well. You can resolve them with me."

Kachina extended her mandibles in protest at Talutah, but Lex didn't see it. "This whole family is dysfunctional. The way wives treat each other here and how you all worship the Prince. And the things you do to each other," Lex said.

"We are an aggressive species, and we are prone to our instincts. What you have observed here is similar to any other royal family. It is similar even among the commons. Due to the wars and hunts, there is a significant gap between males and females. What would you have us do? Be single and childless all of our lives?" Talutah asked.

"Why not end the wars and the hunts?" Lex said.

"That goes against our nature. We must work with what we have and not believe in fantasy," Talutah replied.

"I am not your pet to drug and do whatever you wish with me," Lex said.

"I was merely doing as I was told," Kachina said as she continued to struggle against Lex's hold.

"You two will get along or I will have to supervise your sessions," Talutah threatened. She then turned to Lex specifically. "As I am next in line, if you refuse Kachina you will face me instead."

Lex let that sink in. There was a sudden movement by Talutah and immediately Lex and Kachina were both on the floor. Talutah activated her wrist band summoning servants to the room. "Both of you stand up," she ordered.

The servants came in and looked over the mess in the room. "Did something happen?" one of the servants asked.

"Do not assume anything. Just have the room cleared," Talutah ordered roughly. She then focused on Lex and Kachina. "Until everything is fixed and replaced in this room, the two of you shall use the room designated for the human," she ordered.

* * *

That night, Royce and Isabelle set up camp for the first time. The atmosphere lacked the oxygen on Earth, so it felt like they were high in the mountains despite being close to the coast. They quickly clothed themselves with various plants hoping none of them were poisonous or would develop a rash. The preserve had numerous types of fruits making hunger a non-issue. There were no predators in their preserve, and so nothing could harm them. If they wished, they could hunt plant-eating alien animals that existed in the preserve.

"We should create a shelter for ourselves. We don't know the weather of this planet," Isabelle suggested.

"You're giving up on getting out of here?" Royce demanded.

"It's impossible Royce. We're in a fenced preserve in the middle of nowhere. They have cameras watching us, and those things in our arms are tracking us," she reasoned.

"Well, I don't care about that. I am getting a ship and I am going home," Royce said determinedly.

Isabelle sighed at Royce's refusal to accept the reality of their situation and followed him to the fence. Once they got there, Royce considered the fence and how high it was. He threw a stick at the fence, which immediately caused the stick to burn up. "There must be a way. We dig underneath it," Royce said.

"What if you can't Royce? What if the fence is too deep?" Isabelle questioned.

"Then we go deeper," Royce replied.

Royce looked around for something he could use to dig. Seeing nothing, he began digging with his hands. Isabelle watched and then walked off in frustration at him. As she did, she saw out of the corner of her eye a bright flash. Fearing the worst, she ran back to Royce and saw him unconscious on the ground. She immediately checked vital signs and found him alive. He had a burn mark on his back, but otherwise, he was not seriously hurt. Looking around in the forest, she realized they were being watched. Royce had attempted to dig a hole through the fence, and they had stunned him.

* * *

The next day, the courtroom was packed with legal observers, political figures, religious leaders, reporters, and distinguished guests. Lex felt nervous with so many powerful figures in the room. "The Prince will not be joining us. He does not want the attention his presence would cause," her lawyer told her.

The Judge entered the room and immediately everyone present rose to their feet. He sat down above the floor of the court but below a large television screen. The screen became active and began showing a video of Lex and then the plaintiffs.

"The defendant wishes to have this case be made a private affair with the removal of all guests from the court," Lex's lawyer motioned.

"If the defendant wanted to make this case private, she could have settled in a private meeting. The motion is denied," the Judge ruled. The Judge then turned to the plaintiffs, "Submit your evidence."

A video screen displayed what Wolf saw the moments before his death. Lex immediately recalled the mortal fight between her and Wolf. It was a fight she did not believe she could have won and if not for the Hybrid that would have surely been the case. She was not sorry he was dead. After the video had concluded, the Judge considered it for a moment.

"Make your case," the Judge ordered the plaintiffs.

"As you can see from the video, the defendant defended the humans from Wolf, she then engaged in unlawful combat against Wolf, and her actions caused his death," the plaintiff's lawyer summarized.

Lex's lawyer then took the floor. "The female was aiding the humans from a Xenomorph attack. She was ordered to do so by her Elder superior and not just because of her sympathy to her former race."

"The humans were armed and thus worthy prey," the plaintiff's lawyer countered.

"Wolf's strayed from his mission unnecessarily exposing himself on two occasions. The first was when he killed a human law enforcement agent and skinned him in plain sight of the humans. The other was when he killed an armed human a distance away from the Xenomorph infestation. Hunting the humans, worthy prey or not, was not Wolf's primary mission," Lex's lawyer argued.

"There is no fault in containing the Xenomorph threat and hunting worthy prey at the same time," the plaintiff's lawyer responded.

"We will make the case that hunting armed humans increased Wolf's risk to himself and his mission," Lex's lawyer argued.

"Move on," the Judge ordered them both.

"The evidence on the video recording of Wolf's mask is evidence enough of wrongdoing. The plaintiff rests," the plaintiff's lawyer said.

The defense lawyer then took the central stage and activated the video screen showing a 3D image of Lex's brain. "We request the doctor take the stand now."

"What do you see?" the defense lawyer asked the doctor.

"I see significant dormant areas of the brain. Areas of the brain that increase intelligence, memory, empathy, and sexuality are non-active. The reason for this is that the transformation of the defendant from human to Yautja did not activate these areas of the brain. I believe this was done to protect the defendant from going into mental shock during her transformation; a fail-safe," the doctor said.

"Can these dormant areas become active?"

"With proper therapy, these areas of the brain will become active and functional. She will be able to function in society," the doctor said optimistically.

"Would the defendant at the time of this event been empathetic towards Wolf?" the defense lawyer asked.

"No, she would have considered him a monster similar to human mythology. She would have had no empathy towards him at all," the doctor concluded.

"In essence, a sociopath towards Yautja?" the defense lawyer continued.

"Yes, her empathy would have been directed towards humans at this time," the doctor answered.

"No more questions," the defense lawyer said sitting down. The plaintiff's lawyer took the stage for questioning.

"Did the defendant understand right from wrong? And if so, could she intellectually understand the consequences of her actions?" the plaintiff's lawyer asked.

"She has that understanding, but due to her lack of empathy towards our race, her moral compass was oriented towards helping her former race from harm. It is unlikely she put much thought into the consequences of her actions as her actions seem to be reactive to Wolf," the doctor said.

"No further questions," the plaintiff's lawyer said. He then turned to the Judge, "There is case law whereby mentally challenged Yautjas were convicted of civil penalties for their actions. The defense will have to prove how this female is different from them."

"The plaintiffs have not yet proven that the female had a notable impact on Wolf's death. As seen in the video of Wolf's memories, the warrior died in combat with the Hybrid. He removed his weapons and engaged the Hybrid as an equal. He was then stabbed through the chest by the Hybrid's tail resulting in his death. The actions of the defendant were marginal in affecting Wolf," the defense lawyer argued.

The plaintiff's lawyer appeared a little uneasy as he realized where the discussion was going. "Wolf suffered numerous injuries and was attacked by multiple enemies. We do not claim that the female could cause his death all by herself. We claim that the female was a contributing cause to Wolf's death and that she must be punished for her actions."

"The defense argues that Wolf engaged the Xenomorphs on his own without reinforcements and then hunted dozens of Xenomorphs including the Hybrid. The Xenomorphs were reproducing at a faster rate than Wolf could kill them, and it was inevitable that Wolf would eventually become overwhelmed by the task. The defense reasons that Wolf took undue risks with his life and that the female should not be responsible for Wolf taking these risks."

"Had the female cooperated with Wolf, it may not have been a futile task," the plaintiff's lawyer argued back.

"The humans detonated a primitive hydrogen fusion weapon on the location to contain the infestation. Whether or not they worked together, they would have been destroyed by the nuclear blast or fallout," the defense lawyer pointed out.

"Enough!" the Judge interrupted. "Place the defendant on the stand," he ordered.

Lex nervously approached the floor of the court in front of everyone present. There was no witness box in which to feel safe in. A device from the ceiling came down and hugged her head tightly. The plaintiff's lawyer came forth to interrogate her in the square. Images on the video screen showed a male Yautja warrior and a human woman. "If given the choice, which one would you save?"

Lex looked at the defense lawyer with a pleading gesture as if asking him to object. "Answer the question," the Judge ordered.

"The human," Lex answered honestly.

The video showed symbols indicating she was stating a true statement. The images changed to that of Wolf and the human named Dallas. "Which one would you save?"

"The human," Lex answered again becoming annoyed.

The plaintiff's lawyer seemed to grin with his mandibles. An image of a Yautja child appeared on the screen alongside an elderly human male. "Which one, female?"

Lex realized she was falling into a trap, but she couldn't lie. "The human again," Lex answered.

"If a Yautja warrior were to engage in combat against a human, would you interfere to save the human?" the plaintiff lawyer asked.

"That would depend on the human," Lex dodged. The computer registered the statement as true, but barely.

"So, if the human were a murderer, a rapist, a terrorist, or a soldier from a foreign military you would not intervene on the human's behalf?" the defense lawyer interjected.

"Probably not," Lex answered, which registered as barely true.

"Let us put her to the test," the defense lawyer said. Immediately, guards brought forth a human male of Arabic descent. He struggled with his chains and cursed at the aliens in his native language. He had a notable scar on his face and some of his fingers were missing. He was brought forth into the middle of the court square.

"This man constructed primitive explosive devices that caused the deaths of several dozen humans in the nation of Iraq on Earth. In one instance, he sent a young female of six years of age to deliver a package to a police station and then detonated the device killing fifteen humans and injuring thirty-three others," the defense lawyer introduced.

The man was pushed down to his knee and his neck out. Another guard extended his blades and placed them on the man's throat. The screen showed the memories of the bomb-maker right before he handed the packaged to the little girl. Lex watched the screen, and then back at the bomb maker. "Will you intervene on his behalf?" the defense lawyer asked.

The guard reached up with his blades to strike. Lex turned to the screen and then back to the bomb maker. He was still struggling, but he could not escape the grip of the guard. "Stop!" Lex shouted as the guard was about to behead him.

The plaintiff's lawyer extended his arms in victory. Lex walked up to the bomb maker and, before the guards could stop her, plunged her blades into the right and left side of his lungs. The bomb maker coughed up blood and struggled to breathe as Lex sliced deeper into him. The plaintiff's lawyer stared in stunned silence as Lex twisted her blades breaking ribs and slicing tissue. After a few moments, the bomb maker could no longer breathe and drowned in his own blood. He fell to the floor creating a bloody mess.

Lex retreated from the bloody mess and retracted her blades. She still felt furious for what the bomb maker had done and the adrenalin was still pumping through her veins. She felt good, she felt righteous for what she had done. "Beheading was too good for him," Lex said. The statement was registered as perfectly true on the computer.

The guards looked at each other and then dragged the dead bomb maker out of the room. "There will be a brief recess as this mess is cleaned up," the Judge ordered.

It took a few moments for Lex to bring herself back to normal. "Excellent showmanship," the defense lawyer approved.

"You tested me. What if I had failed?" Lex asked angrily.

"We lawyers work to establish the truth even if it does harm to our clients. It was the Prince's idea, and he was certain you would pass," the lawyer said.

Lex sat down and took some deep breaths. "I am not an executioner," she muttered.

"On your world, you killed a Xenomorph without hesitation," the lawyer pointed out.

"Yes, but that's different. They're animals," Lex said.

"Humans are to us, as Xenomorphs are to humans in intelligence," the lawyer said.

Lex didn't agree with the comparison. "Well, this human survived when three young Yautja warriors were killed in Antarctica. I survived when Wolf did not. I survived when many Black Yautjas and Royal Guards were killed on that moon. What does that say about human intelligence?" Lex argued.

The lawyer merely smiled with his mandibles. The Judge came back to his podium after the blood had been cleaned up from the floor. "Proceed," the Judge gave the floor to the plaintiff's lawyer.

"A nice trick, but humans are known to execute their own for crimes. That display proved nothing," he said.

"It proves that the female's loyalty to humanity is not absolute. She can be persuaded to hunt and kill her own former species depending on the target," the defense lawyer said.

"Is this true?" the Judge asked directly.

Lex recalled the Prince's offer to kill the worst of humanity in return for medicine that would turn her human again. "Yes, it is true," she said finally. The computer detected her answer as barely true.


	15. Royal Dinner

A device hung over Lex's head, and then metal spikes pierced her cranium. Lex felt a painful sensation as the spikes drilled through her skull into her brain. The Prince watched, as the doctor worked on a computer. "We will now begin," he said.

"Is this really safe?" Lex asked painfully.

"It can put you into a permanent coma or vegetative state," the doctor said.

"What?" Lex asked shocked.

"Begin the procedure," the Prince ordered quickly.

The doctor pressed the buttons on his computer sending electricity into Lex's brain. The computer monitored Lex's brain waves and noticed increased activity. "It's working so far my Prince," the doctor said.

"Good, make sure all sections of her brain are active," the Prince ordered.

Lex felt the worst headache of her life, as the machine stimulated her brain. She closed her eyes, tensed up, and tried to shut out the pain. After a few moments, the procedure was complete. The spikes quickly withdrew from her head. The doctor quickly placed bandages on the sides of her head and cleaned up the green blood that leaked out.

"Well?" the Prince asked.

"It appears the procedure was a success," the doctor said.

"Inform the Court," the Prince ordered his lawyer who then left the room.

* * *

The Prince was summoned before his father, the King of Yautja Prime, and all colonies. He was dressed in his royal armor and passed by ranks of Royal Guards. Upon entering the throne room, he knelt down on one knee and lowered his head to the throne. The King and Queen were seated towards the back of the room in thrones made of metal and bones. The thrones each had metallic spikes that came from the throne and skulls from a number of creatures were on the ends of those spikes. The King himself was almost the same size as a Black Yautja and was intimidating to behold.

"What is your bidding, my King?" the Prince asked.

"What are your intentions with the female human turned Yautja?" the King asked.

"I intend to make her my wife and have offspring with her," the Prince said boldly.

"Is this not the same female that was convicted of wrongful death against a warrior on Earth?" the King asked displeased.

"I secretly encouraged the plaintiff's family to sue in civil court, and, in their grief, they agreed. I also encouraged the judge to rule the way he did in the case. Had I not been involved, the female would never have gone to court," the Prince revealed.

"For what purpose?" the King asked.

"She would have to choose between slavery and marriage to me," he said.

"You cannot win her heart through your own merits?" the Queen asked.

"She is stubborn and cannot be flattered, mother. She is quite the shrew," the Prince explained.

"Although the female is innocent, her reputation has been damaged. If you were to marry her, your reputation will be at risk. Why do have an interest in this female?" the King asked.

"She holds genes that will take the best of Yautja and human DNA. The offspring will have unique qualities that will take our species in new directions. She has also shown great courage despite her disadvantages. She intrigues me," the Prince said.

"The Prince only has six wives and this is not the first time he has selected a female of low reputation," the Queen reminded the King.

"Do you intend to marry another female after this one?" the King asked.

"I have no plans to," the Prince answered.

The King and Queen glanced at each other as if communicating their thoughts to each other. "You desire my blessing?" the King asked.

"I would have it, my King," the Prince said.

The King stood up and walked towards the Prince. "Rise son," he ordered.

The Prince and the King met face to face. "You liberated a solar system from the Black Yautja. That was a great victory, and you say this female assisted you in this task. If I read the case correctly, it appears she challenged a warrior of that rank in defense of humans. Your female has courage, but I have doubts about her loyalty to the crown and to the Yautja people. In addition, her offspring would not be pure-blooded. I will give you my consent as a favor for your excellent service, but her offspring shall not be in the line of succession," the King said.

The Prince bowed his head to the King's decision. "Bring the female to a royal dinner so that you can show her off to your siblings," the King ordered.

"As you wish, my King," the Prince replied.

* * *

Lex stayed at the hospital while she received therapy for her newly activated Yautja brain. She was made to see images on a computer screen and then remember them in order. She found her short term memory dramatically improved from before. She was also shown images of Yautja warriors raising their spears and blades in the air with their trophies. Lex wasn't sure at the time, but she felt a sensation every time she saw those images as if turned on by them. Lex was also shown images of Yautja children and her brain signals were recorded. She was told later that she felt a sense of protectiveness and affection for the little monsters.

She was also instructed to smell different substances which created different responses in her brain. She would learn later that these smells were powerful pheromones of a male Yautja and that she had responded as a normal female Yautja would. Headphones were placed on her ears and then she was forced to listen to Yautja music. What was merely noise to her before, became more emotional for her this time.

The Prince entered the hospital as the tests were being completed. Lex was in the hospital bed with a bandage around her head. "Is she ready?" he asked the chief doctor.

"She will require more testing and therapy, but she is healthy enough to go home," the chief doctor said.

"Good, will she require those bandages?" the Prince asked disturbed by the sight.

"I think we can take them off now," the chief doctor said, and then motioned for his subordinates to carefully take off the bandages. When they were done, the Prince gave her an inspection.

"Will they heal soon?" the Prince asked noticing the wounds.

"Within a few days," the chief doctor predicted.

"Procure drugs for me that will heal the wounds quicker. I require her head to appear undamaged," the Prince ordered.

The chief doctor departed with some reluctance at the Prince's order. Lex simply stared as the Prince ordered the doctors around with ease. She noticed the way he was dressed in his armor and cape behind him. She saw the way he moved and gestured as well as his physical form. She paid close attention to his powerful arm muscles and wondered what existed beneath his armor. Lex snapped out of it as the Prince continued to inspect her.

"Will I be okay?" she asked.

"You are better now than before. In time you will be satisfactory," the Prince answered.

Lex was irritated by his arrogant remarks but also felt turned on at the same time. Her mind like the idea of being dominated by this powerful creature. She realized what was happening and attempted to stop her thoughts from influencing her. The Prince came to her side and inspected her closer. Immediately, Lex could smell the familiar scent of the Prince, but it was different this time.

"Can you stand? If you can, do so," the Prince ordered her.

Lex cautiously got out of bed and stood up. She suddenly fell forward as her legs buckled. The Prince held her up with one arm and steadied her. "The drugs in your system will lose their effect in a few hours," the Prince told her.

The Prince then turned to the medical professionals. "I require a hoverchair now," he ordered.

Lex was assisted by the Prince's driver to the mansion as the Prince stepped inside. The Prince was immediately greeted by his wives and servants. "Escort her to her room and make sure she gets her rest," the Prince ordered Kachina.

The sixth wife bowed to the Prince and then quickly approached Lex lending her a hand. When the two were gone, the Prince then conversed with Makawee. "The King desires Lex's presence. Have her presentable in our tradition," the Prince ordered.

"The King has consented?" Makawee wondered.

"He has," the Prince answered.

"If the King consents, then so do I," Makawee bowed to the Prince.

* * *

Lex awoke with a terrible headache in the morning. As she woke up, Kachina was there waiting for her. "It is nearly the middle of the day," Kachina said bored.

"You have been watching me this whole time?" Lex asked disturbed.

"Yes, I had to make sure you didn't have a seizure," Kachina said.

Lex felt her head and felt the wounds still present. "Those will heal in a few days," Kachina told her.

Kachina then took out a cell phone of sort and spoke into it, "She's awake now. Shall I bring her down?"

She waited for a response and then ended the call. Kachina then turned to Lex amused. "There is a family meeting concerning you. Get dressed and come with me downstairs," she said.

Lex reluctantly got out of bed and was dressed by members of Kachina's staff. Kachina watched intently as the servants dressed and groomed Lex to satisfaction. When they were done, Lex's braids were perfectly formed, her wounds were covered up, and her outfit consisting of nets, cloth covering certain parts, and light armor were placed. Kachina then escorted Lex down the stairs to the living room.

The family gathering included the Prince and his remaining wives. Each wife took their position in the circle according to their order. The Prince's first wife was to his right, his second to his left, his third to his next right, his fourth to his next left, and so forth with Lex placed farthest away from the Prince.

"I have an announcement to make. I have proposed a mating to this female, and she has accepted," he said dropping a bombshell on them all.

All of them looked concerned except his sixth wife who was pleased to finally be superior to someone. "She will take on the responsibilities and duties of her position as my seventh wife. You will train her in our ways so that she brings honor to the family. There will be a royal dinner soon, so she will need to be briefed on our procedures," the Prince continued.

"When will this mating take place?" his Nizhoni asked.

"Within the month. That is when the deadline for her debts is to be paid," the Prince replied. "Speak your concerns."

"I have given you two daughters so far. If she gives you a son, I fear you will lose favor in me," Talutah said.

"A child is more likely to take on the values of his mother than his father. The sons of your daughters will carry on our values as opposed to any other. In biology, it is the female that progresses our evolution by choosing mates. I am not like my brothers, my brothers-in-law, or even my sisters in this matter. The offspring of this female will not be in the line of succession although they shall be given royal titles," the Prince said.

"Should we expect more wives in addition to this one?" Aylen asked with hints of jealousy.

"No, this will be the last wife I shall mate," the Prince replied.

"There are only so many hours in a day and only so many days in a year. Will you have the time to satisfy us all?" Urikia asked.

"As you produce more children, you may not be so inclined to desire my touch," the Prince said amused.

"Will she perform her duties to you with complete compliance?" Nizhoni asked.

"All relationships require mutual consent, my dear. She will not be forced to do anything she does not wish to do, but I am hopeful she will want to in time. What are your thoughts?" the Prince asked Lex.

Since the operation, Lex had a number of confusing thoughts in her head. She was starting to look at Yautja males and the Prince in particular in a different light. She felt new desires that were compounding with each day. "I can give it a try," she said uncommittedly.

"I consider this no different than an arrangement for the sake of accomplishing a goal. A loveless marriage," Aylen spoke up. Talutah gave her a dirty look.

"She has time to learn. We just need to teach her," Kachina said cheerfully.

"I appreciate your enthusiasm," the Prince gave a slight nod to Kachina. "There is not much time left between now and the dinner. I expect no less than perfection."

* * *

that night, the Prince escorted Lex to the King's palace for the first time. It was a massive structure with hundreds of rooms. It was in the shape of a pyramid with a power core several floors below them. Inside the pyramid, she saw statues of great Kings of the past. "This King ordered the first expedition of Earth thirty thousand years ago. We favored the humans over the Neanderthals and so we assisted the humans in hunting them down," The Prince said.

"This King brought humans to isolated areas of your most southern continent and created the first civilization. The people that lived there tragically died but their ideas we gave them in architecture and language survived on three different continents. If not for him, humans would still be living in caves," The Prince said.

"This King sponsored the invention of the cloaking device we use to hunt humans," The Prince pointed out another statue.

The Prince then pointed out another King, "He defended Yautja Prime in the first Black Yautja war."

"What will your father be known for?" Lex asked.

"You will never know what you are remembered for until after your death," The Prince replied. "My father expanded the empire and gave our race more hunting grounds. He will live to see the Yautja race expand in a different direction," The Prince said, as he focused on Lex.

The two finally reached the chamber holding the dinner. Already, the room was filled with the Prince's brothers and sisters. None of their spouses were invited. Only those connected to the King by blood were present. "Are these all of your siblings?" Lex asked.

"No, only the siblings that come from my father's four most favored wives," The Prince corrected.

Lex saw the King at the end of the table with his four wives next to him at the table. Lex watched curiously as The Prince's siblings greeted him with embraces. The Duke approached Lex with a glass in his hand. "A drink?" he offered.

"Yes, I think I am going to need one," Lex said feeling stressed. She was in a room filled with the most powerful Yautja in existence. She downed the drink in seconds and then a servant took the glass from her. The hall was guarded by a number of Royal Guards and servants would work quickly around the table.

"What is the Prince's relationship with his siblings?" Lex asked the Duke.

"In most cases, the Prince has no relationship with his siblings from our father's lower-ranked wives. Of those he is intimate with, he has friends and enemies. There is always talk of a struggle for power when our father dies and jealousy is quite common," the Duke said.

"Will the Prince ever become King one day?" Lex asked.

"Very unlikely. All of his brothers before him and all of their offspring will have to be dead before that would happen. Our oldest brother has nearly a hundred wives and a few hundred children. All of those children come first in the Line of Succession before the King's second son. That is why we have so many wives and children," the Duke answered.

"What of your sisters?" Lex asked.

"They are not part of the Line of Succession although in rare cases they may serve as regents for an heir. They may marry several husbands or mate with only one. This one, here, has a dozen husbands, and she has them fight against each other in a personal arena. The winner is allowed to mate her," the Duke pointed out.

Lex saw the sister casually drinking a glass of wine and chatting with her other sisters. Lex would have never thought of her doing such a thing. "This one here sends her husbands off to war on the front lines whenever she is displeased with them. They rarely return," the Duke pointed out.

"That's horrible. Why would any male put up with that?" Lex asked.

"For the opportunity to have wealth and status. Their seed becomes Royal through her. Not all are the same way. This one only has one husband for her entire life, and I have been told that they have a very positive relationship," the Duke said.

A bell rang signally that everyone was to take their seats. The Prince came up to Lex and took her to a seated position a distance away from the King. His older brothers and sisters were closer up to the King while his younger siblings like the Duke were farther away. The King stood up and looked over the table. "My son, take a seat to my right and bring your female with you," he ordered.

The Prince stood up and led Lex to the end of the table near the King. The Prince's oldest brother moved down a seat to make room for the two of them. "It has been said that one should sit in a seat lower to their station so the master of the table may come to them and tell them to take a seat closer. For if one should sit in a seat above their station, they will be embarrassed when the master of the table tells them to move," the King said.

When everyone was seated, the King motioned for his servants. "Dinner is served," he said for all to hear. There were some furious clicking from the other Yautjas at the table and some pounding on the table. Lex waited as the servants placed odd meats, vegetables, and fruits in front of her.

"This young female is here among us as our honored guest. She is to be the wife of one of my distinguished sons," the King pointed out.

There was some polite fist pounding on the table by the Princes. "To our victorious brother," one of the princes toasted. Lex looked at the assembled crowd and began to name them according to their characteristics.

The princes and princesses pounded the table with their goblets and drank it down. Servants rushed over to take the goblets away and replace them with full ones. "What distinguishes this marriage above our own?" Claw asked the King with some envy.

"It is rare for him to take a wife. You, on the other hand, have a new marriage every week," the King replied.

There was some eerie chuckling from some of the princes to the King's reply. "Brother, what distinguishes this marriage is that the female is human," Coyote said coyly.

There was some silence in the halls as that revelation sank in. "I had thought the procedure had been outlawed," Fang said with some outrage.

"It has been. The one who committed the act is dead and cannot be punished further," the King said.

"The fruit of the crime remains," Fang said with hostility.

"The son shall not be punished for the sins of the father and, in this case, the human shall not be punished for the sins of the one that created her," the King spoke.

"The line of succession?" Beast asked.

"Her line will not be in the succession," the King answered.

"Shall we assume your majesty has consented to this marriage?" Lion asked.

"I have consented," the King said.

"Then, who are we to question this arrangement?" Lion advised his brothers.

There was a brief silence as it seemed the room was about to explode in violence. The Prince seemed relaxed concerning the exchange as if he was not concerned. Lex finished her goblet as she felt her stress levels reach a new high. A servant quickly replaced it.

"Does the female consent to this match?" the King asked.

The Prince elbowed Lex to respond. "I do," she said scaring herself with her answer.

The princes and princess immediately noticed her strange accent. "She is clearly a work of art. Just look at her skin patterns. She is a mix of many different clans from across the empire," Artisan complimented The Prince.

"I am quite satisfied with her genetic diversity," The Prince replied.

"To a male child!" Enforcer suddenly toasted.

The princes pounded the table while the princesses remained silent. Lex felt herself burn with embarrassment as they were obviously referring to her. She was having difficulty imagining giving birth to an alien monster. She looked at The Prince and noticed his confident smug look and realized what the future held for her.

"Female: Tell of your first kill," the King ordered.

Lex thought about the question and realized fishing with her dad wouldn't be entertaining to these alien monsters. "Alright, I killed a Xenomorph with a spear," Lex said.

There was some pounding on the table at that. "She assisted in subduing a Xenomorph Queen," The Prince added and immediately there was louder table pounding.

"While she was still human," The Prince said proudly.

There was some awkward silence and then some table pounding followed. "Impressive, but has she hunted armed humans?" Coyote asked.

"She assisted in the hunting of several humans on Earth," The Prince answered.

Lex shuttered inside as she recalled the memory. She had betrayed the mercenaries and led them to their deaths to save the entire planet. "She killed a few Black Yautjas as well," The Prince revealed.

"She has impressive tenacity but perhaps she will turn her blades against us," Fang said.

"You fear her?" The Prince challenged his brother.

"The Black Yautja were spawned by only a few. Who is to say you don't spawn a race that we will later have to exterminate?" Fang pointed out.

"We don't know yet what will be spawned," Enforcer said in Lex's defense.

"What are your plans?" the King asked The Prince.

"I intend to file an engagement and then we will go on a hunt together on Earth. After we have conducted our hunts there, we will be married," The Prince answered.

"What will you do on Earth?" the King asked.

"We intend to hunt the Undesirables and the strongest the human race has to offer," The Prince answered.

"I would be very grateful if you could end that embarrassment," the King said referring to the Undesirables.

"The female's skills will be useful in tracking them down," The Prince said.

"I believe we should have a review of policy concerning Earth. The humans are developing technologies that will expose us. Their primitive nuclear fission weapons can damage our ships if they can get past our cloak," Fang warned.

"The humans are overpopulating their planet and consuming resources at a record pace. They will implode first before they could ever become a threat to us," another Prince said.

"A small fraction of their population is capable of space exploration while the majority starves to death. Not all human collectives are the same in their threat level," Lion pointed out.

"Perhaps, we should expose ourselves again like our ancestors. They will worship us as gods as they have done before," Enforcer chuckled.

"It's different now than in those millenniums. Over half the population believes in one god and they have priests that have a direct connection to this god," Lion argued.

"We should give the humans the technology to explore their sector. Perhaps some of the humans could even join in our hunts," Artisan suggested.

"The humans are no longer worthy of being the hunt or joining the hunt. They are more like insects now," Fang said.

"This female proves that some may be worthy of the hunt," The Prince said pointing at Lex.

"Transform those worthy and let the rest kill themselves off," Enforcer suggested.

"Transformation is forbidden," Fang objected.

"Then perhaps it should be lifted," Enforcer shot back.

"The prohibition shall be in place until the Undesirables are taken care of," the King interjected.

* * *

The dinner then focused on other subjects some of which were boring practical matters on how the empire should be run. When it seemed that even the King was bored, Lion then made a suggestion. "Let us have some entertainment. I am curious about how well your female can fight."

"You wish to challenge her, yourself?" the Prince asked mocking his older brother.

"Of course not. Let us make the match a little fairer. Rose, if you would be so kind," Lion said to his sister.

She gave him a disdainful look. "I hereby challenge you," Rose said to Lex with a bored tone.

"The challenge has been given," Lion chuckled.

The Prince elbowed Lex as she was not paying attention. "Oh…right," she said getting up from the table.

Rose looked over at Lex unimpressed. She had been drinking a number of glasses provided to her by the Duke sitting next to her. She could barely stand and her vision was blurry. Rose gave Lex a polite bow which Lex did not return. The Prince sighed in his chair as he realized events were not working in his favor.

"Bring her to the match-floor," the Prince ordered the Duke.

The Duke got up and led Lex over to the floor in front of the table. The King watched with interest as the two females were placed in a circle. The Duke took center stage and addressed the two. "The first one to tap out or faint loses," he said simply.

"Remove yourself from my circle," Rose ordered the Duke.

He bowed out and watched from outside the circle. "Is this really happening?" Lex asked the Duke.

"Do your best. You're not expected to win," he said to her.

Rose got into a fighting stance and charged Lex at full speed. Just as Rose was about to attack Lex bent over touching the floor with her palms and then kicked upward with one leg. Rose couldn't stop her momentum and was cast over the top of Lex outside the circle. Rose landed on her feet and quickly ran back into the circle. The male Yautja cheered the unexpected hit. Rose glared at Lex and decided to simply walk up to her. She looked over a drunken Lex and punched her hard to the midsection.

Lex felt a faint pain from the hit but was too intoxicated to realize it. She swung at Rose, but she easily dodged the drunken attack. Rose punched at Lex again hitting her shoulder. Lex walked back a step and considered what to do. She remembered her climbing training and then looked at Rose. She motioned for Rose to come at her further infuriating the Yautja Princess. Lex put her hands into fists and slammed down her right hand on Rose's chest as if she were climbing. With her left fist, she slammed down on Rose's shoulder the same way she would attack a mountain with an ice ax. Lex did this a few times stunning Rose. She withdrew from Lex with a stupefied expression.

Lex gave Rose an amused expression and had to concentrate to steady herself. Rose charged Lex and then flipped on her hands. Lex tried to watch her movements, but she flipped too fast. Rose flipped next to Lex and kicked her hard sending her outside the circle. Lex hit the ground with a thud. Her gut was in intense pain and then it went away. She got back up much to Rose's surprise.

Lex came back to the circle and was hit a few times to the face and body by a furious Rose. Lex could barely feel the punches, but she felt weakened. She lost her balance and fell to the ground. Rose went to get on top of her for a hold. Lex suddenly shot up her arm punched Rose hard to the gut. Rose hung over Lex devastated by the blow. Lex pushed her off of her and slowly got back to her feet. Rose was still on the floor coughing up green blood. Lex hesitated to give her a finishing blow. The Duke walked over to Rose with concern.

Rose struggled to get back up but was coughing more green blood. "She's injured. Take a fall and end this," the Duke whispered to Lex.

Rose gave Lex a hateful look even as green blood oozed from her mouth. Lex did nothing as Rose charged her and punched her to the chest. It wasn't a hard punch by any means, but Lex decided to just fall down. Once she fell, she closed her eyes and went to sleep. The Duke looked at the two of them and then announced Rose the winner.

"No commoner or human could defeat me," she spat. Her attendants immediately came to her aid and took her to the medical wing to be treated. The Duke knelt down next to Lex.

"You can get up now," he whispered.

Lex continued to snore and required the Duke to pull her back up. The Prince walked up to her with a pleased expression on his face. "I beat her, you know," Lex said to him.

"I know you did," the Prince replied.

"I don't know how I did it as drunk as I am," Lex slurred.

"My brother put a performance enhancer in your drink. This had been anticipated," the Prince revealed.

Lex thought about that for a few moments. "What?"

"You have impressed the King and that is all that matters," the Prince said.

* * *

After the dinner, the Prince brought Lex back to the palace to recover. Makawee, Urikia, and Kashina were present on their return. The Prince motioned to Kashina who immediately took Lex indoors. The Prince then turned to Urikia, his fourth wife. "Make preparations for our departure to Earth. I want all of our equipment and weapons on board."

The Prince then turned Makawee. "Inform the other wives and servants."

Kashina placed Lex inside their room and then injected her with a detox. She then worked on Lex's bruises from her fight with Rose. "I have always wanted to fight a Royal blood," she smiled at a sleeping Lex.

* * *

The next day, Lex had a splitting headache from the alcohol last night. She also felt sore where she had been punched by Rose. As she awoke, Kashina was busy directing servants to remove their belongings. "What's going on?" Lex wondered.

"Don't you know? We're going to Earth for a hunt," Kashina said enthusiastically.

"Earth?" Lex wondered.

"We're going to hunt some Undesirables," Kashina said.

"Right," Lex said as she stumbled out of bed. "The Prince expects you to be dressed soon," Kashina warned her.

Lex and Kashina exited the palace as the other five wives waited for them. The Prince meanwhile exited the palace with the Duke. The two walked together chatting about dinner and the upcoming hunt. As the Duke came forth, Makawee bowed her head to him. The other wives bowed lower to him with Lex abstaining.

"Shall we board?" the Prince ordered.

Lex hesitated to board the spaceship. Her life had become a little surreal. She was going to travel back to Earth from an alien planet light-years away. She eventually came on board and felt the familiar air of a Yautja ship. Kashina led Lex through the ship and showed her their quarters. It was larger than her old room, so she had no complaints. The ship was more luxurious than the previous ship she had been on. This was the Prince's personal flagship.

The Prince and the Duke stood on the bridge as two pilots took the ship into the atmosphere. Lex showed up as well and saw the ship exit the planet's atmosphere. She then saw nothing but space and stars. "Prepare for a quantum leap," the Prince ordered his pilots.

A hologram appeared showing the desired path towards Earth. Once the pilots were sure the ship wouldn't hit anything on the way, they activated the controls. Lex saw the light from the stars turn blue and overwhelm the window screen. On the sides, the light disappeared from the stars as the ship went faster than the speed of light.

The Prince then turned to Lex. "You will teach my men what to expect on Earth. Tell them about the terrain, the atmosphere, the weapons the humans use, and how human society works."

"As you wish," Lex answered disdainfully.

"Remember that the easier our mission is the least amount of collateral damage there will be," the Prince said and then left with Makawee towards the interior of the ship.

* * *

Lex did as she was told giving a class on Earth to the male Yautja warriors and some of the wives. An hour before they would arrive on Earth, the warriors equipped themselves with the best high tech weaponry Urikia could make. As the ship approached Saturn, a smaller ship detached and sped towards the inner solar system.

"The Prince requests your presence in his quarters," the Duke informed her.

Lex sighed as she walked through the ship towards the Prince's quarters. She entered the room and found the Prince busy with some sort of chemistry lab. He took out a needle and without warning plunged it into her shoulder. Lex felt a light sting as the Prince quickly injected the substance.

"What the hell?" Lex spat at him.

"You will thank me later," he said ignoring her outrage.

Lex immediately felt a burning sensation throughout her body and fell to the ground in pain. The Prince simply watched as her Yautja patterns disappeared. Her bone structure shrank along with her muscles. She was rapidly losing height from six foot six to five foot four. Her yellowish skin became darker until it almost looked human. Her claws on her toes and fingers softened and turned into nails. Lex felt an uncomfortable sensation as her jaw changed shape and her mandibles disappeared. Finally, she laid on the floor a naked woman.

The Prince looked over with curious interest. He clicked at her, but she could no longer understand him. He clutched her arm with his large hands and lifted her up. Lex felt shaky on her human legs. She could sense she had lost a lot of strength. The Prince looked at her hair and with a swift slice cut off her hair. Her braided hair fell to the ground giving her short hair. Lex clutched her hair and glared at the Prince. She then began to cough from the air in the room.

The Prince placed a mask over his face and then changed the settings in the room. Lex felt the crushing gravity become relaxed and she was able to breathe normally again. Her armor hung loosely from her frame. The Prince opened a container and threw human clothes at her feet.

Lex quickly took off the Yautja armor and put on civilian clothing. They were tennis shoes, a red t-shirt, and jeans. She noticed with some horror that there was a slash mark in the jeans and red along the tear. "I think you're missing some items," Lex said to him referring to a lack of bra, underwear, and socks.

The Prince shrugged unconcernedly and then motioned for her to go outside the room. The two walked down the hall towards the bridge. Everyone was there wearing masks and weapons for the hunt. The Prince clicked commands to them all and then turned to Lex.

"You have a week to give me a desirable kill."


	16. LAPD

Lex saw the planet Earth with her human eyes. She was of a handful that would be given the privilege of seeing this. If only the moment weren't ruined by the clanking sound of Yautja warriors testing out their blades, and the hum of their lasers. As she saw her human hands once more, she felt like she should stop all this. She looked over at the controls and considered ramming the ship straight into the ground killing everyone on-board. The Prince seemed to notice her suicidal thoughts and moved a step towards the controls cutting her off.

A hologram then appeared showing an abandoned construction yard in Los Angeles. The ship's pilots aimed for the construction yard and then hit the ground hard. If not for the gravity controls, Lex would have been flung across the bridge. The ship tore through the ground and ended up in a cavern underground. A force field from the ship kept the ground from falling on the ship.

The Prince then handed Lex a purse filled with $10,000 in cash, a 45 Cal. pistol, a false ID and passport, a set of keys, infrared binoculars, a cloaking device, and a GPS with an already set address. The Prince and his warriors then exited the ship and opened a cargo compartment. Urikia took a Ducati motorcycle and handed it over to her. Lex placed the keys in the bank and activated the engine.

"Where do I go with this?" Lex asked.

"There is a pathway to the surface from here," the Prince said in robotic English from his mask.

The Prince then led the way through the tunnels towards the surface. As they approached the exit, the Yautja activated their cloaking device. Lex pulled out of the tunnels while walking her motorcycle and then looked at her GPS. It was programmed to a certain address in Los Angeles. Following the GPS, Lex drove through LA towards her destination.

Once she got there, she discovered it to be an unremarkable apartment in downtown LA. She used one of her keys and entered the dwelling. The apartment was filled with kitchen supplies, coaches, televisions, and a king-size bed. There was some dust from non-use but otherwise an impressive apartment. Lex locked the door and went to sleep not wanting to think about her task.

* * *

The next morning, Lex took her purse ventured outside. She hadn't gone shopping for several months, but now the opportunity presented itself. She took her motorcycle and went to the nearest mall. With her cash, she bought new jeans and clothes for every occasion. She didn't mind spending the Prince's money, not just because he was an ass, but she didn't think he would need it. She then bought a new laptop, a pre-paid phone, a watch, and hiking boots.

Walking around with shopping bags and eating a pizza for lunch made her feel alive again. It was as if the whole alien thing was just a bad dream. She looked at her hand wondering if her nails would turn into claws. After lunch, she took the opportunity to get her hair and nails done. While watching a movie in a theater, she wondered what she was going to do. She considered the idea of going to the hospital and getting a doctor that would stop the inevitable changes. She also considered going to the military and telling them everything she knew. Once the movie was finished, she was still uncertain about what she wanted to do.

At the apartment, she turned on the TV and saw a number of violent killings take place throughout the city. The police were desperately trying to stop the rival gangs, but it was becoming a losing battle. "Who's in charge down here? The cops? No, they're outmanned and outgunned. Mr. Mayor, come back from your vacation home in Lake Tahoe and declare martial law!"

Lex frowned as she saw how worse things had become in LA. She then considered the news castor who seemed to be present at every gun battle between police and gangs. She took her motorcycle down to the station and saw Tony Pope enter his van. She recognized the news castor man from the television program. As he left the parking lot, Lex followed him thinking he would lead her to a crime scene.

Sure enough, within ten minutes Pope was scouting around a fairly shady neighborhood. Lex watched from afar with her binoculars which detected his infrared signature. He was talking to a black man who had a sawed-off shotgun in his hand. The two went inside the building and disappeared.

Lex activated her cloaking device and found the door leading into the building. With a Yautja blade, she sliced through the door unlocking it. She then quickly went inside to avoid being detected.

"Shut the fucking door," someone said in a heavy Jamaican accent.

"Is this place secure?" Pope asked alarmed.

"You worry too much man," the Jamaican leader said amused. One of his men shut the door and came back to the circle.

"So, do we have an understanding?" Pope asked.

The Jamaican leader hesitated to respond making Pope uneasy. "Yeah, we have an understanding. You report crimes that lead the cops to us and then we ambushed them. You get your story and we get the cops."

"Now where's my money?" the Jamaican leader demanded.

Pope nervously placed a large block of cash on the table. The Jamaican leader cast it off to one of his men to count. Lex watched in fascination as the conversation continued. "Pleasure doing business with you," the Jamaican leader said once the count was over.

The Jamaican leader then took out a city map. "We will have a fake drug lab positioned here. You report this to the police and then we can surround them inside the building. There will also be explosives inside the building."

"I see," Pope said looking at the map and writing down the address.

"You better not double-cross us," the Jamaican leader said holding a large knife in his hand.

"Of course not," Pope said fearfully.

"Now get out," the Jamaican leader said rudely.

Lex had to move. If she didn't stop this plan, a dozen cops could be killed. She took out her 45 Cal pistol and prepared to shoot. Pope stood up and moved towards the door. If she didn't act now, she would lose him. Lex pointed the weapon at the Jamaican leader and cocked the pistol as silently as she could. He was too busy snorting cocaine to notice her. The pressure was starting to mount as Lex considered her humanity and the fate of the cops.

Finally, she squeezed a bullet off blasting the Jamaican leader in the head. His face fell into a hill of cocaine; the guards immediately starting to fire widely. Lex turned off the lights allowing her to see the guards in infrared. Unable to see their faces, Lex felt more comfortable. She aimed and fired another bullet off blasting a guard to the head. She then moved out of the way as bullets sprayed around her. Taking another position, she fired into the back of a guard's head. This became too easy for Lex as she hit another guard to the head. She then looked around and saw two figures huddled towards the back of the room. They appeared female and were not armed. She then remembered Pope and ran out of the room.

Pope was starting to run from the building towards his van. Lex deactivated her cloaking device and sped towards him on her motorcycle. Pope scrambled to get the keys to his van but was suddenly slammed into the van. Pope fell to the ground stunned. Lex pulled him up to his feet and pointed her pistol in his face.

"In the van," she ordered.

"Don't kill me," he pleaded.

"Shut up and move," Lex ordered.

Pope opened the van filled with monitoring equipment. Lex looked around briefly and then closed the door. Putting on her binoculars, she could easily see Pope in the darkness. "I want to know everything you know about crime in LA," Lex said.

"Like what?" Pope asked.

"Something weird or unusual; something similar to what happened here eight years ago in 1997," Lex said.

Pope stared at her and nodded in understanding. "They say the Jamaican Voodo gang is under the control of a man no one has ever seen."

"How do you know he exists?" Lex asked.

"I have monitored his voice. It's inhuman," he said.

"Play it," Lex ordered.

Pope went to his computer and played the sound bite. "Do as I say, little man. I want the weapons and drugs shipped tonight," the recording said.

Lex listened intently and noticed the familiar tone. It was the voice of a Yautja struggling to speak English. "Where did you get this?" Lex asked.

"I have my ways," Pope said sheepishly.

Lex put the muzzle of the pistol on his head. "Okay, I got it from an undercover prostitute," Pope fessed up.

"Why are you paying these Jamaican gangs to kill cops," Lex demanded.

"I'm just trying to make a living," Pope said.

"Give me a good reason why I shouldn't kill you," Lex threatened.

"Okay, you want to find this Jamaican drug lord right? I can help you find him if you let me live," Pope offered.

Lex could hear police sirens in the distance. "We'll talk later," she said and then backed out of the van. Lex got on her motorcycle and drove back to the crime scene. Once she got there, the police had the place surrounded and then went inside.

Lex watched intently in cloak as the cops searched around. "This really isn't the place for you Chief," Leona commented.

"Don't call me that. I could say the same thing for you. Don't you have a kid to look after," Harrigan shot back.

Leona simply shrugged and looked around. "Single bullet wound to the head," one of the investigators noticed.

"Looks like they were caught off guard; there are some bullet wounds to the back of the head here," Leona said.

"How many players were here?" Harrigan asked.

"Looks like one. We found only four 45 Cal bullet casings. The only bullet casings are consistent with AK-47 rounds," investigator Carl said.

"So what we know is that a single shooter surprised these men and killed them all with four bullets. How is that possible?" Harrigan wondered.

"We'll take the bodies to ballistics later so we can find out who was shot first and at what range. From the looks of this gun powder residue, I would say that it was a very close range," Carl said.

"So, someone just walked up to him and popped him?" Leona doubted.

"He was probably high out of his mind with cocaine," Carl speculated.

"We'll find out for sure," Harrigan said resolved.

Lex watched the police with some interest; it was like watching a CSI show. Harrigan seemed anxious in the room shifting his eyes around the building. Lex wondered if the chief were able to detect her; she decided not to move.

"What of other witnesses?" Harrigan asked.

"We haven't found any," Carl reported.

"Anything wrong?" Leona asked upon seeing the chief look around.

"No, nothing," Harrigan said after looking around. "Okay, clear the area. Form a perimeter and wait for forensics to arrive," Harrigan ordered.

Lex watched as the cops exited the building and then wondered what to do. "Impressive for a human," a robotic voice said from behind her. Lex jumped nearly falling to the ground. She fearfully looked behind her and saw a disturbance in the air. She pointed the weapon at the disturbance.

"Identify yourself," she ordered.

The male Yautja deactivated his cloak revealing himself. Lex quickly realized it was the Duke. Sighing with relief, the Duke examined the bodies. The Duke picked up the drug lord by the neck with one hand and lifted him up off the floor. There was cocaine all over his face and in his nose. The Duke examined the skull with his masked eyes and then dropped the body.

"We don't have much time," Lex told him.

"Then we should take this to a more appropriate venue," the Duke said with a robotic voice.

He took out a device from his belt and shot through a window to the top of another building. The gas-powered device hooked onto the edge of the building. The Duke then attached the rope to the drug lord's body and then rushed the body up the rope to the top of the building.

"What about the other bodies?" Lex asked.

"They can stay," the Duke said uninterested. "Grab my belt," he ordered.

Lex complied and then the two were flung out of the building and onto the top of the building. The Duke picked up the dead drug lord and dragged him across the roof. With clear cover, he started taking out his tools.

The Duke seemed to hesitate for a moment. "Kashina has terminated the two female witnesses," he reported.

Lex simply gave him a blank stare. "They weren't involved," she protested.

"Involved in?" the Duke asked.

"The drug dealing and cop killing; they were just prostitutes," Lex explained.

"So, that is why you killed this human?" the Duke asked curiously. "We do not hunt to extract justice. We hunt those humans that are the best game. Coincidentally, this human served both purposes."

"So, you would kill a cop if he were the best game?" Lex asked disgustedly.

"I have this impression you disapprove," the Duke said amused.

Lex considered shooting her last two bullets into her future brother-in-law. "Your weapon?" the Duke requested.

Lex reluctantly gave up her weapon. The Duke carefully loaded the magazine with bullets and then handed the weapon back to her. "There can be no witnesses to our hunts or the entire human race is threatened. Remember that next time," the Duke warned her.

"Why did you follow me?" Lex asked.

"The Prince has requested that I assist you."

* * *

The Duke and Lex journeyed back to the ship underground. The Prince was waiting for them in his throne room. There were two new human skulls on his armrests. The Duke came forward first detaching a human skull from his outfit. He then gave his mask over to the Prince who then placed it on his face. The Prince stayed silent for a moment as he viewed the Duke's memories.

"Good," he said after viewing the videos.

Lex then contributed her skull and mask. The Prince examined the skull, from his anthropology lessons, he knew it to be a male one. He placed his finger inside the bullet hole wound of the skull and then put it aside. He then placed Lex's mask over his face to see what she had done. He waited a little longer as he viewed Lex's memories and then finally gave it back.

"It is acceptable," he said neither praising nor scorning her. He then opened a compartment on his arm revealing a blue vial. He threw it at her perhaps hoping Lex would fumble it and break it. Lex caught it and placed it safely in her pack.

"By killing that man you will save human lives," the Prince said to her.

"Who did you kill then?" Lex accused.

The Duke gave her a curious look as the Prince said nothing. "My kills are reviewed only by the King," he said.

Lex was not satisfied with that answer and her expression showed it. "Your human body will not last long in the ship. You may take your leave now," the Prince ordered.

Lex turned to exit the ship. She noticed as she left that the Duke and Prince were conversing but she couldn't understand what they were saying.

* * *

The next day, Lex gave Pope a visit at his house. She searched through the internet for his address and too many people were willing to give it up. Lex drove up into the hills and found Pope's gated community. Once she reached the gate a security guard blocked her path. She pointed her Yautja plasma canon blasting him. He fell to the ground stunned. Lex then used a laser pointer to slice through the lock on the gate. With the gate wide open, Lex drove through.

Once she reached the residence, she placed on her Yautja glasses specially designed for her. She could see some of Pope's guards crawling around the residence. Activating her cloak device, she carefully navigated through them to the door. She then knocked on the door. A woman opened the door and looked around. Lex went through the door and walked towards Pope. The bewildered woman then closed the door.

Pope was in the living room having a drink with another woman Lex suspected to be a prostitute. Lex waited for the second prostitute to join Pope and then deactivated her cloak. "Get out," she ordered the two women.

Lex aimed her pistol at the two of them until they ran out of the house. Lex then aimed for Pope. "Get on the phone and tell your men they can leave early," she ordered.

Pope hesitated with Lex still aiming for his head. "Now!" she said more forcefully.

Pope nodded and then made the call. After he was done, Lex blasted the phone with her laser pointer. "Hand over your cell phone," she ordered.

Pope did as he was told handing it over. "Now turn off the lights," Lex ordered.

Pope complied dimming the lights. Lex could still see Pope with her infrared glasses. "So, now you know that I can easily get through your security. My friends can easily do the same and they aren't as merciful as I am."

"What do you want?" Pope asked fearfully.

"I want access to all of your documents and videos. I am hunting for this Jamaican drug lord," Lex said.

"They're not here. They're in my office," Pope said.

"We're going for a ride. Get up and do as I say," Lex ordered.

Pope drove Lex to his news station. Lex recognized the location and then ordered Pope to let her inside. The two then accessed a room filled with videos. They were placed in categories, some of which contained information on corrupt cops. "I'll be taking these," Lex said to him.

Pope sighed as he gave them over. He was hoping to use them in case he needed to blackmail the police. Pope then handed over the videos concerning the Jamaican drug lord. Satisfied for the time being, Lex ordered Pope back to his neighborhood.

"We'll be in contact," Lex said to him.

Pope nodded fearfully and then quickly ran through the open gates. Lex drove off back to her apartment knowing it would be a long night.

* * *

The next day, Lex woke up late. She has just watched a few hours of videos, some of which were relevant to her investigation. She then turned on the TV to watch the local news. There was a shark killing off the coast of Long Beach, but the killing of the Jamaicans wasn't talked about.

With her evidence in hand, she drove to the police department. "I want to see Chief Harrigan," Lex asked the receptionist.

"Do you have an appointment?" the receptionist asked.

"I am his niece," Lex lied.

The receptionist gave her a look over. "Okay, he's on the top floor. You can't miss it."

Lex headed up to the top floor and found Harrigan's office easily enough. It was a fairly normal office with papers all over his desk. There was an 18th-century pistol place on his wall. He was shouting through his phone with occasional obscenities. Lex ventured into his office and waited for his phone call to end. "Can I help you?" Harrigan asked pleasantly once he was off the phone.

"I want to work with you on busting the Jamaican drug cartel," she said.

Harrigan smiled at Lex. "I don't have any money to hire a private investigator."

"I am not asking for any money.

"What's your angle then?" Harrigan asked.

"My father was killed by a drug dealer. I have a score to settle," Lex lied.

"Now, you see, I can't have that. I need someone who has their head in the game; not going on their own personal crusade," Harrigan rebuked.

"Like you did when your partner died in 97?" Lex asked.

Harrigan gave her a blank stare. "That was different," he said softly.

"And so is this. Let's make this easier for you. I have in my possession tapes detailing corruption in your department. These tapes show a number of your cops giving drug dealers protection," Lex revealed.

Harrigan stared at the tapes. "I have copies back at my apartment," Lex said.

"You trying to blackmail the LAPD?" Harrigan asked.

"Call it what you want. I'll give you a tape a weak and in return, you give me copies of all the evidence you have on the Jamaican drug lords," Lex said.

"How did you get these tapes?" Harrigan wondered.

Lex simply smirked. "I have more. If you help me I can help you get some payback. Recognize this," Lex said displaying a plasma cannon. The device couldn't be detected by the police metal detectors.

Harrigan stared at the device as he quickly recognized it. "How do you have this?" he asked.

"What's important is that they are here in your city. They also want this drug lord dead. We could work together to kill them both," Lex offered.

"How can I trust you?" Harrigan asked.

"Take a chance," Lex said. "I'll give you the first tape for free," she said leaving the tape on the desk. Harrigan was considering getting some back up to arrest her as she was about to leave. Lex activated her cloak and vanished in his sight.

That night, Harrigan viewed the tape thoroughly and was disgusted by what he had seen. He immediately suspended the officers involved. This immediately put him in a bad situation as he didn't have enough officers for the shifts. Lex pulled strings on Pope to keep him from reporting the corruption investigation.

* * *

A few days later, Lex and Harrigan met again. "After reviewing the tapes, I am willing to work with you. These are the files we have on the Jamaican drug gangs," Harrigan said as he handed over the file.

"Some of them feed by hijacking meat trucks coming into Los Angeles. Their next attack is scheduled for tonight at 10 pm. They will attack here," Lex said showing Harrigan a map.

"How many?"

"Usually groups of three."

"How well-armed are they?"

"Twin plasma cannons, thermonuclear detonator, cloaking device, infrared scanners, blades, discs, and armor," Lex recalled.

"Damn," Harrigan considered.

"You've killed one before," Lex reminded him.

"That was seven years ago and it took out an entire FBI squad. Is there a way to detect them?" Harrigan asked.

"Water will cause the cloaking device to fail for a few minutes," Lex said.

"That's right," Harrigan recalled.

"We could also set up a trap for them. They want the strongest prey they can find here. Arrest one of the Jamaican drug lords and then make it public. They will go after it," Lex said.

"As will the Colombians," Harrigan muttered. "Can you help us on the field?"

"They know what I look like. They will know I betrayed them," Lex declined.

"Not sure who I should send though," Harrigan said.

"Send in the suspended cops. Whoever loses you win," Lex suggested.

"I'll take it under advisement," Harrigan agreed.

* * *

The night of the attack, the suspended officers along with a SWAT team chased after a meat truck headed towards Los Angeles. The truck then took an exit and went past a rest stop town into an abandoned area on a dirt road. The cops stopped their cars and formed a circular perimeter around the truck out of sight in the woods.

The drivers, two LAPD officers stayed tight and waited. After a thirty-minute wait, they heard a thud on the truck. They immediately signaled the other cops to intervene. Suddenly, the doors were ripped open and the two cops were thrown out of the vehicle. An invisible force aimed three red dots at their heads and fired.

"Move out!" Harrigan ordered his men.

Two fire trucks moved into position and started raining water down on the truck. The three Yautja were hit with the water and their cloaks became inactive. The cops then took their positions using the fire trucks as cover. The Yautja attempted to escape but were surrounded on all sides. The cops immediately opened fire hitting the three Yautja several times. A sniper on top of a fire truck aimed and fired into the neck of one of them. The Yautja fell to the ground with a thud as he started bleeding out. As they received damage, their cloaking device became permanently damaged. The two remaining Yautja fired on the cops creating sparks and fires throughout the woods. The two fire trucks received holes that went right through the truck. The sniper on the fire truck was hit knocking him off the truck.

The bleeding Yautja on the ground worked the controls on his wrist to self-destruct. Harrigan realized what he was doing and called for a retreat. The cops quickly withdrew from the area as the dying Yautja's countdown continued. The remaining two Yautja also ran as far as they could from the blast radius. The rest top town watched in confusion as cops and firefighters ran as fast as they could away from the woods. There was a sudden flash of light and a shockwave that knocked everyone down the ground. When the explosion settled, Harrigan was covered in ash.

* * *

Lex was not summoned to the ship in response to the firefight between the LAPD and the Yaujta. She wasn't sure whether this was a good or bad thing. Was she suspected of tipping the LAPD off resulting in the death of a Yautja guard? Or was she simply being ignored? Two police officers had been killed in the firefight. She wondered if Chief Harrigan would stop working with her or even try to arrest her now. She decided to wait a few days and then attended the public funeral of the two officers.

"They were good cops," Harrigan said sadly as she came up to him.

"This is a war. There will be casualties," she reminded him.

"I know," he muttered. "Now I have Feds all over me," he said wearily.

Men in suits approached Harrigan from the side. One of which was thin but tall with sunglasses on. "I'm sure you remember me, Harrigan. I am taking over your investigation. I hope I can depend on your cooperation," he said.

"Yeah, I remember you, Garber. With Keyes dead, I guess that gave you a promotion," Harrigan said crossly.

"Yes, it did. No thanks to you we have very little information on how these creatures operate. Now, you've managed to get two of your men killed," Garber shot back.

"What do you want?" Harrigan asked impatiently.

"We want to know how you knew where to strike at those creatures. You must have a good source," Garber surmised.

"A good hunch," Harrigan lied.

Garber stared at Lex briefly wondering who she was. "We have already searched your office thoroughly. The Chief gave us his full cooperation," Garber smirked.

"You did what?"

"It looks like you were holding out on us. That pistol you have on your wall has the creature's alien DNA on it and other synthetic elements not found on Earth," Garber revealed.

Harrigan kept his mouth shut. "And who is she?" Garber demanded.

"A consultant on this case," Harrigan said vaguely.

"I can help you," Lex blurted out.

"How? What do you know?" Garber asked seriously.

"We should take this conversation somewhere else," Lex said. She felt like she was being watched and the tombstones around her weren't helping.

"Fine, we will meet at this address at twenty hundred. Don't be late," Garber said.

"Asshole," Harrigan cursed as Garber left with his men.

"We have to work with him. Only together do you have a chance," Lex said.

* * *

That night, Harrigan and Lex drove up to an abandoned warehouse. Garber and his men were already there setting up equipment. The warehouse was filled with motion detectors, cameras that detected different types of light, and traps. One of Garber's men carefully led the two inside the warehouse and then closed the door.

Lex noticed the trained German Shepherds in the room. Looking at all the equipment the Feds had prepared, she was actually impressed. "What do you got?" Garber asked impatiently.

"I'm one of them, so ask anything you want," Lex said.

Garber stared at Lex not sure if he should believe her. He was on the verge of arresting her when she stopped him. "If you try to arrest me I will activate a homing beacon on my wrist band which will alert the creatures that I am in trouble. We will all be dead," she warned.

Garber eyed the alien piece of equipment. "Okay, let's talk," he allowed.

"I was human but I was turned into one of them as part of an experiment. I am able to stay human as long as I take a special medicine. This device is a cloaking device, this is a gas-powered blade wrist band, this is a plasma cannon, and this a medical kit," she said putting the equipment on the table.

"We need to test all of this," Garber said excitedly.

"That's not part of the deal. You can look but not touch," Lex said forcefully.

Garber settled himself and continued the questioning. "What are they here for?"

"They're here to hunt you. They're only interested in hunting the most challenging prey. In this case, it is the criminals and you," she said.

"What are their vulnerabilities?"

"They're not that different from us. They have greater tolerance to traumatic injuries but they can be killed. They're hard to kill because their blood clots quickly and they have organs inside them that hold excess blood. They could lose a few pints and still be fine," Lex detailed.

"Do they regrow limbs? Are they reptiles or mammals?"

"They don't regrow limbs, but they have very good prosthetics. Despite their appearance, they are more like us than reptiles."

"What about their senses? Their sight, hearing, and smell?"

"Their sight is poor in our atmosphere, their hearing is very good, and their smell is also very good but only when they take off their masks."

"Can they live without their masks here?"

"For a short period of time, they can breathe, and then they'll eventually pass out."

"How many of them are here?"

"There are two dozen that came down on my ship. There could be others I don't know of."

"How long will they be here?"

Lex hesitated to answer that question. "They're looking for members of their own kind. There were some humans that were transformed as well, but these guys were psychopaths. And now these psychopaths could expose them. So, they're here to hunt down these creatures and kill them before that happens."

"These different ones are here?"

"We know there is at least one in the Los Angeles area. We think that he could be manipulating the Jamaican drug lords."

"How many total are there?"

"We think there are a dozen of them in the western hemisphere."

"Do they have the same weapons as the others?"

"No, they just have blades, a mask, and a cloak."

Garber looked at his notes and wondered what to think of this. "I suppose it's only right to tell us what we know. A high-tech microwave emitter was stolen from a ship at a port in LA. It is used to vaporize water into a vapor. It was invented to purify saltwater for Third World missions. Does any of this make sense to you?"

Lex gave a blank stare. "We found a new drug on the streets that can enter the bloodstream merely by breathing it in. It's very potent and very addictive. It's naturally produced as a liquid," Harrigan said.

"They're going to poison the water supply," Lex realized.

"If they can vaporize the water in the pipes they could intoxicate whole city blocks. You could create tens of thousands of potential customers," Harrigan said.

"Are there any incidences of the water supply being broken into?" Garber asked.

"I think I recall a case," Harrigan considered.

Garber turned a laptop to Harrigan. "Your password, we can look through all LAPD case files."

Harrigan eyed Garber with an antagonistic expression but then gave him the password. Garber's men then went to work looking through crime files. "We found one incident of vandalism and stolen property at a water treatment plant. The suspects were profiles as African American with braids."

"Looks like the theory fits," Garber said pleased.

"Hey, that's racial profiling," Harrigan objected.

Garber rolled his eyes. "We will need to plan on making a trap for these Jamaicans at a water treatment plant."

"How will we know when they're going to strike?" Harrigan asked.

"I have a source inside the Jamaican drug cartel," Lex volunteered.

"You're full of surprises," Garber smirked. "You will need some protection. Wesley will be assigned to guard you."

Wesley came forward; he was African American, muscular, and had a military haircut. "I don't think that will be necessary," Lex protested.

"I can't afford to lose you and I want to keep an eye on you," Garber said.

Lex wondered if coming to this meeting was such a good idea. Wesley gave her a grin as if enjoying the prospect. "He will escort you out," Garber said.

Lex left the table with Wesley following behind. As soon as she left the warehouse, Wesley grabbed her firmly and then escorted her to his car. "What about my car?" Lex protested.

"We will have it towed to your address in the morning," he said in a deep voice.

He took the passenger seat of the car. "Drive," he ordered.

Lex did as she was told, bringing the car to her apartment. Wesley looked around using his flashlight to examine the outside. "Go inside," he ordered.

Once she was inside, Wesley barged in and began exploring the apartment. "This will work," he approved.

"Work for what?" Lex questioned.

"I will be residing here until the end of this assignment," he said.

"That wasn't part of the deal," Lex said angrily.

"We are altering the deal," he said simply. "And don't try anything," he said revealing a jacket filled with small explosive tubes.

"You're crazy," she said giving him a stupefied look.

"You're the human that claims to be an alien," he replied back.

"You can sleep on the couch then," Lex said defeated.

* * *

The next day, Lex wondered how she would ditch a highly trained federal agent. As she went into the kitchen to prepare breakfast, the agent was already waiting for her. "You usually wake up at 8 pm?" he asked as if disgusted.

"Sorry, I am just a civilian," she said defensively.

He watched her intently as she made oatmeal. "Have you had anything to eat?" she asked him.

"I already ate," he said simply.

"Well, I need to get out for a coffee. You coming?" she asked.

"I am assigned to follow you wherever you go," he said.

"Well, I prefer it if you follow me where I can see you."

The two walked a few blocks and found a Starbucks. After she ordered a coffee, Wesley sat at a table waiting for her. "Sure, you don't want one?" she asked politely.

"I don't drink coffee. Never developed a taste for it," he said.

"So, tell me about yourself. What do you like to do?" Lex asked.

"My work comes first. I manage many people under me. I suppose my hobby is hunting," he said.

"What kind of game?" Lex asked curiously.

"Criminals."

Lex frowned at her lack of success in getting him to open up. "Where are you from?"

"Pasadena," he replied.

"What got you interested in the DEA?"

"My peers in school took drugs and ruined their lives. Now, many of them are dead or imprisoned. I decided to take the opposite path. My best friend was gunned down by drug dealers," he said.

"Sorry," Lex muttered.

"It was a long time ago," he downplayed.

"So, you probably think I am a monster right?"

"I don't have an opinion. I was assigned to watch you and to protect you," he said.

"You married?" Lex asked.

"I was but I am divorced," he said.

Lex nodded as weird thoughts went through her head. He was impressively built, an intimidating voice, and looked very cool with his black shades. He was dressed in black pants, a black t-shirt, and a black leather jacket. His shoes were black and shined.

"You ready for the raid," he asked.

"I think I can manage it," Lex said although she was not entirely sure.

"We should begin your training," he advised.

"What do you have in mind?" Lex wondered.

Wesley took out a piece of paper. "Shooting range, wall climbing, martial arts training, and arrest techniques," he said.

"Is that really necessary with the technology I have?" Lex asked.

"You always should be prepared in case it fails," he said.

"Alright then, let's begin."


	17. The Undesirables

Lex met up with Wesley at a gym commonly used by law enforcement. She was given access as a guest and then directed to a room with mats. She was dressed in a white martial arts uniform. Wesley was dressed in black with a black belt around his waist.

"I don't have time to give you all the disciplines. My goal is to give you self-defense training 101," Wesley told her.

"Alright, I'm ready," Lex said determinedly.

"Let's see what you already know," Wesley said.

The two bowed and then went into fighting stances. Lex advanced on Wesley with some punches and kicks that Wesley easily blocked. Becoming tired, she took a step away from him. "Did you step away because you think you can escape me?" he asked.

Lex simply stared. Wesley then suddenly spun on his foot and kicked her to the gut sending her to the floor. Lex quickly got back on her feet and got into a fighting stance. The two circled each other and then finally Lex gave Wesley a barrage of kicks and punches. Her attacks didn't seem to have any real effect on him.

"You're fast but you have no power," he said.

"How am I supposed to build power in a short time?" Lex asked skeptically.

"You must drive through your opponent as if he were not there," he said.

Lex thought about that and then punched Wesley hard to the jaw. His head swung a little from the blow and then he smiled amused. "Better."

Wesley then brought her to the police gun range inside the LAPD building. She was handed a pistol and closely watched as she took aim. Usually, when Lex had to aim her targeting computer in her mask did it for her. She took the pistol with shaky hands and fired off a round. Wesley got close to her and held her hands to steady them. She fired a second time with better results. She fired two shots to the torso and one to the head.

"Good, but be sure you have the presence of mind to kill your opponent," Wesley advised.

During the week, Wesley trained Lex in fencing and short blades. Wesley was an expert in the use of a sword and small blades. Lex even used her own Yautja blades in her duels against Wesley who used his own katana. Even when Lex used her cloak, Wesley seemed to know where she was at all times and defended against her. He was so skilled, Lex wondered if Wesley could defeat a Yautja all on his own.

Throughout the training, Lex would try to find out more about Wesley. He never watched TV, worked out obsessively, and would occasionally leave the apartment to make a phone call. He was all business with no interest in pleasures. He also took an assortment of medications he claimed were performance enhancers.

* * *

When it was time, Lex met up with Mr. Pope at his office at the television network. He was working alone late into the night at his computer desk. Lex was in full uniform in cloak as she snuck up behind him. "Hands on the desk," she ordered.

Pope did as he was told at once. "I want everything you know on this toxin," she said giving him a flash drive.

Pope placed the flash drive and looked up the chemicals involved. His hands shook fearfully as he typed. "I have a source that tells me this toxin is in full production," Pope said nervously.

"When will the next deal go down?" Lex asked.

"There will be a meeting at the docks tomorrow night," Pope revealed.

Lex then took back her flash drive. "Give me the address."

The night, the Jamaican drug dealer waited in his limo as the workers unloaded the crates at the dock. A white man was in the car as well, the scientist involved with the creation of the toxin. Lex watched with her mask as the men continue their work. She was in cloak, in a black gi that was skintight around her figure, a wristband, mounted plasma cannon, a bulletproof chest plate, and a belt filled with various weapons. The men were loading children's toys with the drugs inside.

Lex sneaked around and then suddenly fired at one of the workers with her net gun. The worker was pinned to one of the cargo crates and couldn't move. Two workers noticed the noise and went to investigate. Lex climbed up one of the cargo crates and then jumped them. She bashed their heads together knocking them out. Panicked, another worker fired machine gun blasts near her location. Perfectly cloaked, Lex walked around the crates away from the gunfire.

"Where are you?" he screamed.

"Here," Lex said then hit him with a stun blast.

Lex then dropped in the middle of a group of workers. The workers were surprised as they heard a noise near them but couldn't see her. Lex extended her blades and started slicing the group up. The workers tried to fight back but more often than not hit each other with clubs and pipes. Lex used her martial arts training to punch and kick the workers down while avoiding getting hit. Within a minute, all the workers were on the ground with non-lethal wounds. Lex walked around the bodies and looked for the main drug dealer.

She found him in his car loading a shotgun. Lex jumped onto the limo and using her blades sliced the roof off. The drug dealer fired a shell at her which deflected off her chest plate and mask. Lex pulled the drug dealer out of the car through the roof with unnatural strength. He tried to fire again, but Lex sliced his shotgun in half with her blades. Lex examined the drug dealer's skull by moving his head to the left and right. Then, with a sudden swipe, she sliced his head off.

The scientist got out of the vehicle and tried to run away. Lex fired a stun blast at him knocking him to the ground. Taking the drug dealer's head into a backpack, she walked over to the scientist.

He attempted to crawl away as jolts of electricity made his muscles spasm. Lex brought him to his feet and then slammed him against a cargo crate. She placed handcuffs on him and sat him down. Using a radio in her helmet, she contacted the LAPD. "I have him."

* * *

Lex cleaned up her mess taking back all the alien equipment she had used. She took off her mask and placed her backpack among the crates to keep the FBI and LAPD from finding it. Harrigan was one of the first on the scene followed by Garber.

"You cleaned up nicely," Harrigan complimented.

"We will be taking the doctor in," Garber said rudely.

"The others are ours," Harrigan shouted after him.

Harrigan glared at the FBI agent and then turned to Lex. "What's with the headless guy?"

"He tried to kill me with a shotgun," Lex said defensively.

"There were shotgun shells, gun powder residue, and some pellets found at the scene," Leona said.

Harrigan nodded but was still suspicious. "We will need a positive ID."

"You will have it soon," Lex promised.

Harrigan stared at Lex realizing he had made a deal with the devil. "Seal this place up. I don't want anyone walking into my crime scene."

* * *

After she was released, Lex journeyed her way to the Yautja ship with her backpack trying not to be followed. She went underground and found the ship where it was supposed to be. Entering, she saw the Duke sitting on the throne on the bridge. He was watching some kind of video screen from the ceiling. Noticing her, he turned the machine off and turned towards her.

"You have something for me? I can smell the blood from here," he said in rough English.

Lex dropped off the backpack at his feet. A servant of the Duke picked up the backpack for cleaning. "Your mask," the Duke requested.

Lex handed it over and waited for the Duke to watch whatever she saw during the raid. He then gave it back to her when he was satisfied. "Interesting. So, this prey could be the head of this narcotic enterprise. We shouldn't be surprised. He was after all a criminal before he was changed," the Duke said.

Lex waited impatiently. "Where is the Prince?" she asked finally.

"He is on the hunt with some of his wives. I am in command of the ship while he is gone," the Duke answered.

The Duke then showed her a large screen filled with light blue images. The images would fluctuate or pulse every few seconds. Each image showed humans doing some kind of activity. "These images come from using human communication towers. Whenever a human speaks it creates a sound wave, which we can detect on the ship. That sound wave is then converted into an image of everything around the human. It is similar to the bat I believe," he said.

"What is the purpose of this?" Lex asked.

"We will use it to find our prey," the Duke said simply.

"That is a violation of privacy," Lex protested.

"It is of no concern," he replied.

The Duke then opened a compartment filled with vials on his wrist. "You want this," he said softly.

"Are you going to honor the agreement?" Lex asked.

"Of course, I have no need for them," he said.

The Duke threw her a vial, which she caught. She noticed her skin was turning lighter and her nails were becoming like claws. "I hope you will visit soon," the Duke said and then turned his chair away from her.

* * *

When she got back to the apartment, Wesley was in a chair waiting. "Where were you? The mission was over two hours ago," he said.

"I had business of my own," Lex said vaguely.

She then sat at the table, wrapped tape around her arm, and then injected the blue substance into her veins. Wesley watched without emotion as she finished the injection. "You went to the ship," he accused.

"And what if I did?"

"You will tell us where it is located," he pressed.

"No, that wasn't part of the deal," Lex refused.

Wesley noticed the dried blood stains on her blades but did not question her on it.

* * *

While Wesley was away, Lex injected herself with the serum and immediately felt her humanity return. Within a few minutes, her nails and fingers were restored. Flexing her human fingers, she got rid of the alien vial so Wesley wouldn't find it. She then got a phone call from Chief Harrigan.

"The scientist won't talk. He says an alien will kill him. Normally, I would call him on this bullshit but...," Harrigan let it hang.

"I'll be over. Maybe I can talk to him," Lex offered.

At the police station, the FBI was present at the interrogation. Harrigan's investigators were dealing with the interrogation because the FBI was compelled to have one sign a Miranda document making confessions difficult. Lex went inside the interrogation room as the interrogators exited.

"My name is Lex. I am not the police. I just want to talk with you about who you were working for," she said softly.

"You can't protect me. If I talk, he will kill me," he said frightened.

"You're right. We can't protect you. Not against this thing. It has invisibility and all sorts of killing weapons. These cops with their guns are no match," she said.

"What is she doing, Harrigan?" Garber demanded.

"Just let her do her thing," Harrigan said.

The scientist gave Lex an odd look. "How do you know this?" he asked.

"I make it my business to know. So, before you are killed why don't you do a good thing for humanity? Tell us where this creature is so we can kill it. What is this creature planning?"

"There's a new drug on the streets. I didn't invent it but I did synthesize it. It's a radical compound that heightens awareness, increases muscular strength, increases paranoia, and is incredibly addictive," he said.

"Worse yet, it is not injected or taken orally; not even smoked. It just needs to be in the air in vapor form and it will do its work," he said.

"A water treatment plant was hit by vandals. What do you know about that?"

"They plan to dump the drug into the water supply. They have already started; it's too late now," he said alarmed.

"But you said..," Lex questioned.

"They have a machine that will turn the water in the pipes into vapor. It's a powerful microwave device. If you get near it the water in your body will vaporize killing you instantly," he warned.

"Will they be putting another batch into the water supply?" Lex asked.

"In a few days, they will be putting the final amount. I don't know the precise time," he said.

* * *

Wesley, Lex, Harrigan, Garber, and a collection of other cops came upon the water treatment plant and saw a few vehicles present. Suspicious, the cops went inside and found workers dumping the drugs into the pipes. The workers opened fire at the cops.

"That's our cue," Harrigan said getting his pistol out.

Once inside, the cops had subdued the workers arresting or killing them. Lex was appalled by the blood on the floor from wounded cops and workers. Using her mask, she looked around for anything the cops couldn't see. Her mask worked to try to find any disturbances in the air that would suggest a Yautja in cloak.

Cops immediately started placing motion detectors around the facility and a special gas was pumped into the building. The gas was thick enough that any movement by a cloaked object would cause it to shift suddenly. That way the cops would be able to see the air moving with the outline of a humanoid. As the gas was being pumped in, Lex detected sudden movement on the ceiling.

"There," she pointed out.

The figure dropped pretenses and went for the attack. Cops immediately opened fire on the shifting gas. "Don't kill it you idiots," Garber yelled at his men.

"Fuck that!" Harrigan counter ordered.

Lex aimed with her targeting computer but couldn't get a clear lock on it. Several small objects fell onto the ground and then exploded. Cops were thrown to the ground from the impacts. Metal darts sliced into the neck of another cop and a spear went straight through the shoulder of another pinning him.

Lex hesitated to fire. If she missed, the hole in the roof would be large enough for the creature to escape. Suddenly a metal dart hit her plasma cannon disabling it. The creature fell to the ground and knelt down close to Lex. Wesley fired his pistol at the creature but it simply clanked off its armor. Out of bullets, Wesley took out his sword.

"We have to retreat," Lex told him.

"I have waited too long for this," he replied.

The creature deactivated his cloak revealing a large humanoid figure. He wore a Yautja mask, was armored with military Kevlar, a tough net material that covered his arms and legs, specially made combat boots, gloves, and a cloak; his entire body was covered. He stood at nearly eight feet tall.

Lex activated her blades knowing she was at a distinct disadvantage. The creature did the same revealing longer and larger blades. "How curious? A human with Yautja weapons," he said through his mask.

"I'm bringing you in," Lex said trying not to sound fearful.

"I have survived on the streets for over ten years. You won't defeat me," he said confidently.

Wesley readied his sword and went for an attack. The Yautja and Wesley engaged with blades clashing. Lex watched in amazement as Wesley kept up with the Yautja. Wesley was using the Yautja's height to his advantage swinging low. Despite his armor, the Yautja was quick using both blades at the same time.

Lex felt compelled to assist but Wesley kept her back. "If you get too close I will cut you trying to get to him," he warned.

The Yautja then slashed close to Wesley's throat. He in turn slashed the Yautja's arm through the tough material. The Yautja backed away as green blood leaked from his arm. Within a few seconds, the bleeding stopped as the clotting worked to close the wound. The Yautja then overpowered Wesley throwing him across the room. Lex aimed and fired her net gun. The Yautja sliced through the net as it went through the air.

The Yautja then advanced on Lex. "A human woman playing alien," he said amused.

At this point, Lex almost wished she were back in her Yautja body. She would have had a chance then. She activated her cloak disappearing from view. However, the gas made it so that the Yautja could see her, too. She was backhanded hard across the room.

Helicopters could be heard in the distance. The Yautja activated his cloak and then disappeared from view.

* * *

The LAPD and the Feds took accountability and treated their wounded. Forensics arrived on the scene and collected the blood sample from the Yautja left behind. Wesley seemed humiliated by his defeat.

"You fought a space alien. I was impressed," Lex said.

"We were so close," he said disappointedly.

"I have to go get this thing fixed," Lex said showing the damaged plasma cannon.

Wesley nodded allowing her to leave the scene. Lex activated her cloak and walked off towards the construction yard.

Once inside the ship, she put her mask on and saw the Duke watching a computer monitor. "I need my plasma cannon fixed or replaced," Lex told him.

"Already breaking the toys my brother has given you?" he said mockingly.

"I was in a battle," Lex said defensively.

"Show me," the Duke ordered.

Lex took off her mask and handed it over to him. He viewed it for a few moments and then gave it back. Lex quickly put the mask on so as not to breathe in the foreign gasses of the ship. "He is more skilled than I had thought possible. Impressive for a former human. Perhaps you will have the same skills someday," the Duke commented.

"Is there anything you're not telling me about the target?" Lex asked becoming frustrated.

"We lost contact with him over ten of your years ago. It is not surprising he would have advanced his skills in that time," the Duke said.

"Where is the Prince?"

"Hunting," Duke said.

"If we worked together we could kill the target quicker," Lex said.

"The Prince wants to see the capabilities of this Yautja before killing it. I am curious as well," the Duke said.

"While innocent people die?"

"As long as a Yautja is not endangered it doesn't concern us," the Duke said coldly. The Duke then took a plasma cannon from a weapon's wrack and handed it over to Lex.

"Be more careful next time," he said.

Lex took the weapon and was half tempted to blast the Duke with it. Instead, she turned away leaving the ship.

* * *

Once she got back to her apartment, she saw Wesley bandage his wounds. "There were medics on the scene," Lex said.

"I can handle this myself," he said.

Lex gave him a worried expression. A sudden blast sent them both to the ground. Lex looked back and saw her door and half her apartment wall blasted out. Wesley was on the floor knocked out. Lex put on her mask and quickly organized her gear. An invisible boot kicked her slamming her into the kitchen cabinets. A few Jamaican gang members went inside the apartment and started searching the whole apartment. Two of them with knives went for the fallen Lex. She activated her plasma cannon blasting the head off of one of them. The blast continued going through the wall and into the air. The other gang member backed off but was then stabbed through by the Yautja.

"Cowards," he said dismissively.

Lex activated the gas on the stove without starting it. "You will kill us both," the Yautja said as he sensed the gas entering the apartment.

"That's the idea," Lex said boldly.

The Yautja considered his next move. The gas filled the room and then Lex could see fine disturbances in the air. The gas would move as the Yautja move. She fired two metal knives at the Yautja stabbing him in the leg. The Yautja fell to the ground disabled. Lex then went after the Jamaican gang members who were busy searching for her stuff. She disabled them with her blades and then went back to Wesley. Grabbing hold of it, she dragged him out of the apartment. The Yautja was busy working on stopping the bleeding on his leg to notice Lex.

Safely outside the apartment, Lex fired a plasma blast into the apartment. The gas ignited creating an explosion that completely destroyed the apartment. Lex fired a few more times into the apartment to make sure she had killed her target. She then heard the sirens of police and firefighters. She then dragged Wesley to her car and then took off.

* * *

Lex drove a few miles through LA and then found a motel. She took off her Yautja gear revealing civilian clothes underneath. When she got back to her car with the key, Wesley had woken up. "What happened?" he asked painfully.

"We were tracked," she said.

"My sword?" he requested.

Lex shook her head. "I'm sorry."

"Do you have the rest of your gear?" he asked.

"It's all secure," she said. "I hit him pretty hard. There is no way he survived."

"Don't underestimate him," Wesley warned.

He painfully got out of the car and limped to the hotel room. "I am so weak and frail," he muttered.

"You just need a warm shower," Lex suggested.

"That sounds good," he admitted.

Inside the hotel room, Wesley had trouble taking off his shirt due to his wounds. "Let me help you," she offered.

She took off his torn shirt revealing Wesley's physique underneath. His muscles were well developed and hard from years of weight training. His abdomen held six-pack abs and his arms were as thick as her legs. "Thanks," he said once it was off.

"No problem," Lex stammered.

"I can handle the rest," he said walking into the bathroom.

While Wesley was in the shower Lex was deep in thought. She felt attracted to him physically and was grateful that he had fought with her against the Yautja at the water treatment plant. Unlike the other guys she had dated in the past, Wesley was a cop with a clear sense of good and wrong. He was like a machine, but maybe that could be melted over time. She wondered what he would be like if he wasn't professional all the time. She also realized how long it had been since she had a relationship with anyone.

She decided to make a bold move. Wesley didn't hear the bathroom door open. The shower curtain suddenly opened and Lex stepped in. Wesley took a step back towards the back of the shower. "What are you doing?" he asked stunned.

"It is faster this way if we shower together," she said.

"But someone has to keep guard," Wesley protested.

"We're safe," Lex said persuasively.

Wesley was about to leave the shower when Lex stopped him slamming him against the shower wall. Lex was surprised by her own strength; her muscles had human and Yautja characteristics and Wesley was injured. "You're stronger than you look," he said.

"I am the strongest woman on the planet," Lex smiled.

"This is unprofessional," Wesley protested as Lex went underneath his arms and started to rub his back. She got closer to him so that her breasts touched his chest.

"How long has it been for you?" she asked.

He hesitated as she moved her hips against him. "Too long," he said finally.

Feeling he was putting his guard down she took the plunge giving him a kiss while keeping close to him. He resisted at first but then started kissing her aggressively. The two moved against the other as the water poured over them.

"If you want this be ready in five," he finally relented.

Wesley then exited the shower and took up his towel. Lex smiled as she realized she had won him over. She quickly took a towel and dried herself off. When she was ready, Wesley was in one of the two beds in the hotel room. Lex quickly got into bed with him and then he came on top of her. "I have never made love to an alien before," he smirked.

"There is a first for everything," Lex smirked.

Wesley entered her and a night of passion began.

* * *

The next morning, Wesley and Lex were filled with bruises and bite marks from last night. Lex couldn't believe all the sorts of things she did that night. It was like she was in no longer control of herself and simply let her instincts take over. Wesley was a true stud lasting as long as it took for her to become completely exhausted.

"Last night…was interesting," he said.

"Want to try it again?" Lex asked.

"Soon, but now we have work to do," he smiled.

The two went shopping for clothes since they had only one pair that wasn't ruined by fire and smoke. Wesley then purchased a new sword that cost him a few thousand dollars. The two then reported to the FBI station.

"They discovered a few charred bodies at the apartment, none of them were alien," Garber told them.

"So, it survived," Wesley said disappointed.

"We did find traces of its blood at the scene. You did hurt it," Garber said.

"All credit goes to Lex. I was knocked out by the explosion," Wesley said.

"Well, good work," Garber said to Lex.

"Any leads on the microwave?" Wesley asked.

"Nothing," Garber said.

"I am going need guns…lots of them," Wesley said.

Wesley then went into the inventory room and took a number of weapons including grenades, two pistols, an assault rifle, and a black Kevlar vest. "This will do fine," he said pleased.

"We have a call from Harrigan," an aid to Garber said.

"What does he want?" Garber asked annoyed.

"He says that LA jails have been hit. The criminals for violent crimes are being released into the city," he said.

"The war begins," Wesley said gravely.

* * *

The FBI and LAPD put all of their men into finding the criminals leaving Wesley and Lex alone to find the microwave. "They'll be using the water system," Lex said.

"There is a central pump system in the middle of the city," an agent told them.

"How will they be able to get there?" Wesley asked.

"There is a subway train system that will lead them to it."

Meanwhile, the Yautja in full dress and his Jamaican army scattered everyone in the subway system. The security guards were immediately killed and the trains were stopped. "Load it into the train," the Yautja ordered.

The microwave was on a cart and placed inside the train. The Yautja then went inside the train and piloted it towards the water pump control center. "Turn the device on," the Yautja ordered.

The water in the pipes immediately vaporizes sending the gas into the air all around the city. The people on the streets were immediately given a euphoric high and then became paranoid with delusions. The police became quickly overwhelmed by thousands of drug-induced citizens.

"Stop all subway trains," Lex shouted.

"It will take some time," the agent said.

"Let's go," Wesley said to Lex.

Wesley and Lex drove through traffic on a motorcycle in the hopes of beating the train. "We've stopped the trains," the agent said through Wesley's ear-pierce.

Wesley expertly went through traffic and people who were high on drugs. Lex cringed as she was nearly hit by cars and people on the road. Lex then activated her cloaking device which rendered them and the bike invisible. Wesley reached the subway entrance and drove down the stairs. Wesley then aimed his grenade gun at the doors of the train and blasted them open. Lex quickly put her equipment on and cloaked herself.

The two went on the subway blasting the doors away as they reached the end of the train. Out of ammunition, Wesley threw the grenade gun aside and reached for his assault rifle. Jamaican drug dealers fired on them with machine gunfire. The train then started to move again. Lex sliced into the Jamaicans. One was blasted out the window and promptly died; another shot one of their own men in the face. Wesley shot one dead with a pistol and Lex stabbed through the last one. When they reached the end of the train, the Yautja was still at the controls with a Jamaican at his side. The Jamaican threw a grenade at them. Lex and Wesley dodged it but it ripped open the train. The train split in two. Wesley quickly shot the Jamaican dead.

The Yautja then turned to see them. Wesley fired a machine gun burst into him, but his armor was too strong. Lex aimed at the microwave device but was slammed to the ground by the Yautja. Wesley aimed at the device as well with his machine gun but the Yautja slapped it out of his hands. The Yautja then slammed Wesley against the side of the train and stabbed him in the knee. The Yautja then released a gas that caused Wesley to fall to the ground unable to concentrate on anything.

The Yautja then turned to Lex and injected her in the arm with the same substance. Lex felt her head spin as the toxin took effect. He then pulled off her plasma cannon and then her mask. The Yautja then casually sat in his chair as he saw the two suffer from the drug. "I sent a team to the subway control station just in case," he said.

"Tell me. How do have Yautja weaponry?" he asked.

Lex refused to talk. "No answer? Are you a Yautja from the homeworld sent to kill me?" he asked.

"Only humans that were turned into Yautja can change back," Lex slurred.

"That isn't true. There are many Yautja on this planet that look like humans so they can blend in. They infiltrate everywhere as humans but when they hunt they go back to their normal selves," he revealed.

Lex tried to digest that information and then wondered why the Yautja even needed her for this mission. "So, you're just like me; a human turned into a Yautja. You thought they needed you didn't you? You're just an amusement for them. All they care about is not being embarrassed by whatever I decide to do. They don't care about the humans I kill," he said.

"Don't trust him," Wesley slurred.

"No human has ever competed against me in a fight like you did," the Yautja said at Wesley. "I bet you're one of them, too."

Lex stared at Wesley as paranoia filled her mind. "What was he talking about?" she wondered.

"So, you don't know?" the Yautja said to her.

"This one is likely a Yautja in disguise as well," he said. The Yautja then slit Wesley's throat with his blades. "Now, time to see."

Lex watched in horror as Wesley slumped. "Maybe not," the Yautja shrugged.

However, Wesley did begin to change. His black skin became lighter and yellowish with a familiar skin pattern. His feet became bigger busting open his boots, his legs shredded his pants, and his waist busted open his belt. His shirt was ripped as his torso and arms became larger. Lex watched fascinated as Wesley grew bigger and taller. The wound on his neck closed up. Wesley then got to his feet; his armor and ammunition falling off him.

"You are…," Lex stuttered.

"So, we meet face-to-face," the Prince said in Yautja.

"You have the markings of a royal," the Yautja said with clicks.

"I am a Prince and I order you to stop this train," he said.

"Your titles mean nothing here," the Yautja said and then extended his blades.

The Prince dodged the Yautja's attacks but he wouldn't be able to do so for long. Lex took her plasma cannon from the ground and aimed at the Yautja. Both aliens were blurs to her as she fired. The Yautja was hit full force blasting his torso to pieces. His head and limbs fell to the ground in a pool of green blood. The Prince then activated the controls forcing the train to stop.

As the train came to a complete stop, the Prince deactivated the microwave. He then held up the dead Yautja's head and threw it next to Lex. "Your prize," he said in English.

"You bastard! You tricked me this whole time," she accused.

"Before this mission, the real Wesley was sent off on a long term assignment. I found him, studied his habits, and made his skull a trophy for my collection. He put up quite the struggle. I then used his DNA to create a human form for myself. When Wesley returned, the human FBI couldn't tell the difference," he revealed.

"How could you do this to me? You tricked me into having sex with you," Lex continued.

"As I recall, you were the one making the advances. I never realized you would become sexually attracted to Wesley's body," he said amused. "Since we were both human, I don't consider our relationship consummated. I won't hold it against you."

"I will never marry you. You played me," Lex said angrily.

"Just as you played the human law enforcement? Just as you allowed one of my royal guards to perish in that trap you set up."

"I'm not sorry," Lex spat.

"You are an interesting human. The next hunt should prove interesting," he said.

"Your brother knew the whole time, didn't he?" Lex asked bitterly.

"Of course, he did. He gave me impressive reports of your hunts," the Prince said.

"What am I?" Lex said of herself as tears formed.

"You have been drugged and are not thinking clearly. We must leave now," the Prince said. A squad of Yautja decloaked next to the train and walked towards them. They were the Prince's wives and guards.

Lex brought the plasma cannon against the Prince and attempted to pump it. The Prince snatched the weapon away from her. "Carry the head or you won't get a vial," the Prince told her.

Lex reluctantly took the disgusting head off the floor and walked with the Prince down the subway. The wives and guards cleaned up the mess on the train.


	18. The Duke

Lex sat alone in her room for a long time reflecting over what had happened in recent weeks. She had been given a vial for her killing of the Yautja fugitive. Wesley aka the Prince continued to keep his cover with the FBI and reported the death of the alien. He had decided to stay at Lex's apartment on a more permanent basis. Finally, Lex turned on the news and watched a report on an elaborate robbing of a Bank of America downtown. The robbers all wore masks Lex recognized as the Yautja mask. The case was unusual since all the robbers except one were killed apparently by each other. The last robber got away in a school bus just as other school buses filled the streets making it impossible to track down by police.

"That's clever," Lex remarked as she realized a second Yautja must be on the loose.

Wesley entered the room as she was watching the report. "We have a new target," he smiled with pure white teeth.

"What's your plan?" Lex asked.

"The FBI is tracing the money using a low radiation film on the bills. That will help us catch him," Wesley said.

Lex turned to the TV again. "In other news, another man has died to a suspect shark bite off the coast of Argentina. He remains in critical condition...," the TV continued.

Lex turned off the TV and prepared for a meeting with Chief Harrigan and FBI Garber.

* * *

Lex deactivated her cloak and appeared before the two men on the rooftop of an abandoned building. "You have leaks, Garber. Your unit can't be trusted with this sensitive information," Harrigan argued angrily.

"Everything that happens in your office ends up on Pope's show," Garber shot back.

"Looks like you can only trust me then," Lex said as she walked up to both men.

"We want the alien corpse," Garber said to her.

"I don't have it. They took it," Lex said referring to the Yautja.

"Well, that's just great. We can't study what we don't have," Garber complained.

"At least the fucker is dead," Harrigan noted.

"This newest robbery was done by one of the aliens. They used the same mask design," Lex reported.

"Great, another one," Harrigan said unenthusiastically.

"Good, we can get a live one this time," Garber said.

"You're going to put it in your pet zoo?" Harrigan asked.

Garber ignored the chief. "We tracked down the financial accountant for these gangs, but he has already fled to Hong Kong and they're not going to extradite. We need him back here so we can get some names." Garber then handed a folder to Lex.

"I'll bring him back," Lex promised.

"You will also find a list of violent suspected criminals in the LA area," Garber added.

"You intend to have them killed off?" Harrigan realized.

"The criminal justice system is too slow. This will save lives in the long run," Garber argued.

"Unbelievable," Harrigan said unimpressed.

"I'll see to it that they are taken care of," Lex said to Garber.

* * *

A Yuatja craft sped towards Hong Kong carrying Lex with it. The Prince watched through the window in his Yautja form; his brother the Duke was piloting the craft. Due to the cloaking device on the ship, no human sensor could detect them.

"Once you exit the craft human sensors will be able to sense us for a brief moment. Make it quick," the Duke instructed her.

"Understood," Lex said not enthusiastic about her task. She was still human and was carrying a load of gear with her as if she were about to climb a tall peak. A hologram on the bridge activated revealing where every individual in the building was located. The plan was to land on top of one building and then glide into the second building avoiding all security on the lower floors.

"Prepare to move," the Prince said roughly.

Lex got into position and waited for the doors to open. Once they were open enough, she cast herself out of the ship. Immediately, the ship's doors closed and the ship's cloak was perfect again.

Lex felt an exhilarating rush as she felt the wind hit her as she exited the ship. She descended quickly towards the rooftops of the Hong Kong skyscrapers. Activating her glider, she moved towards her target. Once she was close enough, she aimed her projectile gun onto the tower of the Skyscraper. Hitting her target she went in circles rotating around the tower until she finally hit.

Lex took a breather as she saw Hong Kong at night. The whole city was lit up before her. Using her mask, she scanned for her target. The ship's readings on security personal entered her mask giving her precise directions as to where to enter the building. Suddenly the lights on the skyscraper went down signally her cue. The Yautja craft had used an electromagnetic pulse to knock out electricity to the city block.

Lex threw herself off the skyscraper and used her glider to guide her towards her target. She came in low and slammed onto the side of the building. Activating her cloak, she then unleashed her metal claws so she could climb up the building. Like many climbs before Lex fought the fear of falling to her death. Unfortunately, she wouldn't be allowed to put metal rods and cables into the building in case she fell. Time was also against her as her target might decide to leave the building. Using her claws, she moved foot by foot towards her designated floor.

Once she got to the right spot, she blasted out the glass on a window and entered the skyscraper. Using her mask, she saw that her target was already protected by security personnel. Lex activated her plasma cannon to stun and went further inside the building. Before she could stun them all, a security officer bumped into her.

Lex hissed at her mistake. She turned around and slammed the security officer to the head. He didn't go down, so Lex blasted him with her stun gun. The other security personal saw the blast and started firing on her. Lex hid behind a desk as bullets fired around her. She fired back causing a fire. Her target was moved to another room. Lex fired at the ceiling sending debris on top of the security officers. She then moved from her position and punched and kicked the confused security officers. Finally, she took hold of her target and blasted out the window.

"I have the target," she said through her mask.

"We are in position," the Duke answered back.

Lex aimed her projectile gun at a sector of space the mask told her was where the ship was located. Firing, the cable went through the air and latched onto the ship. Lex and her target were then thrown out of the building and flew through the air back towards Los Angeles.

* * *

Once they arrived in Los Angeles, the target was dropped off at the LAPD headquarters with a sign. The man was exhausted and confused as to what had just happened to him. Police arrested him and put him in jail.

Back at the apartment, Lex took a shower to fix her frizzled hair. The Yautja had flown her the entire way across the Pacific Ocean instead of pulling her up into the ship. The Prince had told her that it would break their cloak to allow her in even though no one was looking in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

Wesley entered the apartment just as she was about to go to sleep. "The FBI was pleased with your work," he reported.

"Glad someone is," Lex said bitterly.

"For a human…I was impressed as well," Wesley praised.

"Thanks," Lex said sarcastically. "I hope it was worth it."

"We'll make him talk one way or another," Wesley said confidently.

* * *

With the testimony from the mob accountant, the LAPD was able to arrest scores of drug dealers and mafia members. The judge presiding over the case had them all plead at the same time gaining much publicity. The night of, Chief Harrigan showed up to an expensive party in a nice tuxedo suit with Leona by his side.

"Why do I have to put up with this bullshit," he said unhappily.

"It comes with the territory," Leona reminded him. She was in a fashionable dress for the Mayor's reelection campaign. Wesley was also present in suit, wearing black sunglasses. Lex was in a secret service business suit off to the side.

"Kissing ass wasn't part of my job description," Harrigan said bitterly.

"Just be pleasant. You need to enjoy yourself. You got a lot of bad people today," Leona said.

"The streets are still not clean," Harrigan argued.

"It never will," Leona said.

"Alright," Harrigan said bringing himself back into the party.

Meanwhile, the judge presiding over the mafia case was killed in a car explosion. The Chief of the LAPD was suddenly slashed through by an invisible force and then his body was taken away before anyone knew.

Harrigan felt uneasy as the fundraiser for the mayor continued. He nervously looked at his security personal for the party. They were high on a skyscraper but that was no protection from the gang lords and alien monsters. Suddenly, he heard a scuffle at the entrance and then gunshots.

"Shit!" Harrigan realized pulling out his pistol.

Jamaican and Columbian gang leaders charged into the fundraiser with guns pointing. Security personal were beaten down with the remaining police officers surrounded by the dozen gang members of both factions. Their leader stood out among them. He was tall at seven feet tall but bent his legs low and cranked his neck down to make himself seem shorter. He wore a Yautja mask over his face that had a number of cracks on it. He wore the Yautja blades which were recently bloodied. His body was fully armored hiding his alien nature; the only thing exposed was his Yautja hair braids.

"Put down your weapons or everyone dies," the Yautja said in a robotic voice through his mask.

Harrigan and Leona reluctantly put their pistols on the floor. Gang members quickly picked them and brought them back to their side. "Where is the mayor?" the Yautja asked.

"He ain't here," Harrigan answered.

"Anyone know where he is? You? How about you? Do you know where the mayor is? I would like to talk with him," the Yautja said to various elite members.

"Tell me where he is or they all die Chief," the Yautja threatened.

"You don't intimidate me," Harrigan said boldly.

A gas then filled the room causing everyone but the Yautja to cough and fall to the ground. The gang members all started coughing and tried to escape the gas. The Yautja looked around using his mask to scan for the source of the gas capsule. The gas moved, revealing a humanoid form in cloak.

The Yautja quickly took a pitcher of water and threw it on Lex deactivating her cloak. Lex retaliated by blasting the Yautja with her stun gun. The Yautja fell to his knees but go back up grabbing Harrigan. He used his blades to break open the window of the skyscraper forcing the gas out of the room. He pulled Harrigan towards the ledge.

"Let him go," Lex ordered aiming her canon at the Yautja.

"As you wish," the Yautja said letting go of Harrigan. The Chief fell through the window and caught himself on the ledge barely keeping himself from falling to his death.

Lex turned her plasma cannon to kill and fired at the Yautja. The blast caused sparks on the Yautja's armor and green blood fell onto the floor. The Yautja fell through the window and was gone. Lex cautiously looked over the ledge and saw Harrigan holding on.

"I'll pull you up," Lex reached to him.

"No, don't," Harrigan shouted over the wind.

The Yautja grabbed Lex and threw her down from the ledge. The Yautja looked over the two of them as they struggled to keep from falling. Lex aimed her plasma cannon at the Yautja but he was able to get away before she could fire.

"Where's the mayor?" Harrigan asked.

"I locked him in a closet on another floor," Lex told him.

Harrigan nodded and then looked down at the streets below him. "God, I hate heights," he muttered.

* * *

That evening Chief Harrigan was told that the LAPD Commissioner had been killed by some kind of burn blast to the head. He had been struck while in his office on the top floor. A judge involved in the gang prosecution had also been killed by an explosion of a sort while she was about to drive to protective custody.

The Los Angeles mayor came to Lt. Harrigan's office the next day. "I am making you interim police chief of the LAPD," he told him.

"Why me?" Harrigan asked confused. The establishment hated him and wished him gone for years.

"The streets have become really bad now. We need a veteran to lead the LAPD through this crisis. I know you can do it," the mayor said.

"We're facing an enemy beyond anything seen before," Harrigan said.

"That's why we need you, captain," the mayor said. "You will be in charge of security for the police chief's funeral parade. We need the city to know that we are united and that they can go on with their daily lives in safety," the mayor added.

"You have to cancel it. We can't guarantee anyone's safety," Harrigan said alarmed.

"You think this assailant would dare attack a parade filled with cops?" the mayor asked.

"Yes, and we may not see him attack until it's too late," Harrigan warned.

"The city council believes we have to do this to keep the public's trust. It could also reveal the assailant. Set a trap for him," the mayor ordered.

"You're risking innocent lives," Harrigan accused.

"This is a war. I will be the speaker for the eulogy. The assailant will try to kill me," the mayor said determinedly.

Harrigan allowed the mayor to go. He disagreed with the plan but for once he saw a city official show guts. Harrigan considered calling Garber but thought better of it. He stared at his phone uncomfortably and then finally made the call.

* * *

The funeral parade took place the weekend after the attack with a hundred officers on the streets. The mayor was daring any gang to interrupt the funeral, but none did. Snipers were in the skyscrapers surrounding the parade looking for anything suspicious. Garber's team was present in the buildings using a number of different visual scanners to try and find the rebel Yautja.

After the mayor's speech on the police chief, there was a gun salute by a dozen police officers. As they fired off their rounds a plasma burst went through the air towards the mayor. It barely missed him blasting his podium to shreds. Another burst went straight for the mayor but Harrigan threw himself into the blast. Harrigan went down with a thud and stopped moving. The police scattered looking for the assailant. Garber's team found the assailant with their scanners as he moved through the police parade. The Yautja stabbed a number of police officers while still in cloak causing mass confusion. Some of the police officers attempted to shoot at the Yautja but ended up shooting their fellow officers. Garber's sniper took aim and fired into the crowd of police officers. The bullet went through the Yautja splashing green blood on the street. The Yautja's cloak deactivated for less than a second and was back. The Yautja stumbled along and then moved out of view.

The mayor knelt down next to the injured Harrigan. "Tell them they got me," he said and then fainted. The mayor saw a smoking armored bulletproof vest underneath Harrigan's police uniform. The mayor nodded and had Harrigan taken away by other police officers.

The mayor looked upon the confusion and panic realizing he had underestimated the threat.

* * *

The next day, Garber did a press conference with the mayor. Lex and Wesley watched from afar as reporters and cops anxiously listened to the FBI agent. "With Harrigan dead, the FBI will be taking over this investigation," Garber announced.

After the press conference, Garber took Lex and Wesley aside. "You have just made yourself a target," Lex warned him.

"Exactly. We won't let Harrigan's death be in vain. We're going to capture that mother fucker," Garber said enthusiastically.

"How?" Wesley asked.

"We'll give him an offer he can't refuse. We're going to transfer Lou to a federal facility tonight. When the creature strikes we will be ready for him," Garber smirked.

"How do you know the creature knows Lou will be transferred tonight?" Lex asked.

"We leaked it on the internet," Garber said.

"You're using a defendant as bait. Very nice," Wesley smiled.

"Lou is the only way they will get their money. They have to get to him," Garber said confidently.

"I hope your plan works out," Lex said wearily.

* * *

That night Lou was placed in an armored truck in handcuffs to be transferred outside the city. As soon as the police escorted Lou a few blocks, trouble emerged. Gang members in cars shot at the armored truck and at the police cars. The police and the gangs fired at one another with pistols and shotguns as they drove past each other.

Ahead a dump truck moved into position to ram the armored truck. A cloaked vehicle rammed the dump truck easily moving it out of the way. The armored truck kept going down the street. Another cargo truck merged towards the armored truck. The cargo compartment opened revealing nothing. The armored truck was suddenly slammed with a plasma blast that went right through. The armored truck swerved as it was hit. Another blast punched a baseball size hole through the truck. The armored truck struggled as it was being hit by plasma bursts. A helicopter came in to aid the truck but was fired on by the Yautja. The helicopter exploded upon being hit and fell to the ground as a fiery blaze.

Finally, the Yautja blasted the tires of the armored truck causing it to fall on its side. The cloaked vehicle engaged the cargo truck sending plasma bursts at its tires and then blasting the engine. The Yautja fired back hitting the cloaked vehicle forcing it to deactivate its cloak briefly. The two vehicles fired at each other until the cargo truck stopped in the middle of the street with flames everywhere. The cloaked vehicle went too fast and slammed into a store. The Yautja exited the cargo truck and made his way to the armored truck to take Lou.

The doors of the armored truck opened revealing Wesley with a very frightened Lou. The Yautja limped towards Wesley while still in cloak. Wesley took precise aim and blasted the Yautja's plasma cannon with his police rifle. The plasma cannon sparked a few times before exploding on the Yautja's shoulder. Out of bullets on his rifle, he threw it aside and took out his sword. The Yautja charged Wesley and then two clashed with their blades.

Lex got out of the crashed Yautja ship and made her way over to the battle. With her own plasma cannon, she could take both Wesley and the Yautja out at the same time. She hesitated to fire even as a red triangle was on them. Finally, Wesley was cut and tossed to the ground by the Yautja. A figure quickly got out of the armored truck and fired shotgun rounds into the Yautja. The alien fell to the ground with multiple bullet shot wounds.

Harrigan loaded his shotgun with more shells to finish the Yautja off but was distracted by Garber running towards him. "Don't kill it!" he shouted.

"Bullshit," Harrigan cursed and took aim.

Wesley quickly sliced Harrigan's shotgun in half with his sword. Harrigan took out his pistol against Wesley but he quickly kicked it out of his hands. Garber then got to the scene with a half dozen men next to him with rifles. The Yautja was on the ground bleeding and not moving. Lex entered the scene as the FBI gathered around.

"Kill it," Harrigan shouted at her.

Wesley looked up towards Lex as she approached. He made a motion with his index finger not to do it. Lex hesitated and then withdrew back to the ship. She piloted the ship away from the site so it wouldn't be discovered by incoming police.

Garber quickly placed the injured Yautja in a black body bag to cover his appearance and then placed him in the truck to be taken away. Garber then looked at a terror-stricken Lou. "I guess we don't need you anymore," he smirked.

Garber nodded to Wesley and then drove off. Wesley whirled his blade and stabbed Lou through and then cleaned the blade off with his gloves.

* * *

Garber quickly moved the captive Yautja to his federal lab in the middle of the California desert. Lex meanwhile placed her rover into the larger Yautja mother ship underground. Garber quickly got the Yautja out of his truck and placed it on a medical table. Restraints were placed on his hands and feet so he wouldn't move. His armor and weapons were immediately removed.

"Take off his mask," Garber ordered.

"That could kill him," the doctor said.

"Unmask him and put him on Oxygen," Garber ordered even though he didn't know if that was what the Yautja needed.

The doctor carefully took off the Yautja's mask revealing his face to Garber for the first time. He looked upon the creature with disgust. "What an ugly…," he remarked.

The doctor quickly examined the body and noticed an instant cauterizing of the wounds. He also noticed the wounds were healing quickly. The Yautja then regained consciousness and worked against the restraints. "Place the creature against the wall," Garber ordered.

The Yautja was placed in a standing position up against the wall. "Do you understand me?" Garber asked the Yautja.

He nodded back. "Can you speak?" Garber asked.

"I can speak," the Yautja said in a deep voice.

"What are you? Why have you come to Earth?" Garber asked.

"I was human once but they turned me into one of them," the Yautja began. "I lived in the shadows always wearing a mask."

"Why did they turn you?" Garber asked.

"I was a killer like them," he answered.

"Why didn't you go back with them?" Garber asked.

The Yautja chuckled. "I killed them."

Wesley entered the facility and saw Garber interrogating the alien.

* * *

The Duke saw Wesley's tracking device stop moving. "They're there," he saw on the map. He activated the ship's controls and moved quickly towards the location.

"How can they be killed?" Garber asked.

"They have powerful weapons but some lack the instinct to survive," the Yautja said.

"Why did you ally yourself with the gangs?" Garber asked.

"It was the only way to survive. I became their leader and they worshiped me," he said.

"So, you're just another murderer that happened to be changed into an alien monster," Garber said disappointedly.

Garber left the interrogation room and talked with his fellow agents. "Take the evidence to FBI headquarters and prepare for dissection," he ordered.

Wesley watched as the FBI began their preparations while clicking his fingers on his sword impatiently.

* * *

The Yautja ship found the facility and immediately Yautja warriors formed a security perimeter around it. The ship fired on the facility creating a massive explosion. The whole facility shook from the blast creating panic and chaos among the FBI agents. Wesley readied his sword and immediately began slashing every FBI agent he could find.

"We're under attack," Garber was told through his radio.

"Impossible. We were perfect in our preparations," he said stunned. He hurried up the evidence to be loaded into a truck. "Get the chopper ready," Garber ordered. He was going to use it as a decoy.

Wesley finally confronted the Yautja and with some quick sword slashes cut the restraints off. The Yautja fell to the ground but got back onto his feet. Wesley stared at the Yautja and then placed his sword on the ground. The Yautja seemed to understand and raised his fists in a boxing style. The two clashed with their fists.

Meanwhile, the chopper was blasted as soon as it got off the ground. Garber drove off with the evidence not realizing a wrist band also had a tracking device on it. The ship fired on the truck blasting it off the road. The truck rolled a few times before it stopped. A bloodied and frustrated Garber took a plasma cannon from the evidence boxes and attempted to flee on foot. The Duke quickly stabbed him through while in cloak. Garber gave the Duke a stunned look and then fell to the ground dead. The Duke took the plasma cannon and then took the remaining evidence.

Wesley and the Yautja fell to the ground tired and beaten from their battle. Lex entered the facility and found the two fighting it out in the interrogation room. She targeted the Yautja but Wesley motioned for her not to do anything. Again, she considered killing them both, but then she quickly realized some of the Prince's wives were also present watching in cloak.

Wesley finally had the upper hand in the fight giving the Yautja an uppercut and then rapidly punched the alien to the gut. The Yautja fell to the ground defeated. Wesley then took his sword and cut off the Yautja's head. Taking the head with him he exited the interrogation room. After everyone had come back to the ship, it fired upon the facility completely destroying it.

* * *

Lex stared at her tan arms and long nails. She was starting to revert back due to a lack of the serum. She hadn't killed a target in some time. Her cell phone rang distracted her; it was Harrigan.

"Yes?" Lex answered.

"We're meeting at a warehouse to debrief and figure out how to explain this to the press," Harrigan said.

Lex then listened intently as Harrigan gave her directions to the warehouse close to the ocean. "Got it. I'll be there," she said.

Wesley then entered the apartment and waited for Lex to finish. "What is it?" he asked.

"We have a meeting with Harrigan at a warehouse tonight," she told him.

"This will be the last task I do with this body," he said disdainfully.

* * *

Lex drove up to the warehouse with Wesley following behind. He had his sword on his back and a pistol holstered as usual. As they entered the warehouse, Lex was immediately tackled to the ground and handcuffed. Wesley took out his sword and was surrounded by a SWAT team. They aimed their TASERS at him and fired. Wesley fell to the ground stunned by the shock.

Harrigan stood standing off to the side as the two were brought before him. Wesley was handcuffed and put in a chair. A doctor injected him in the neck to calm him. He was brought before a table with Harrigan sitting calmly on the other side.

Lex was taken to the other side of the warehouse and detained with a heavy guard. Harrigan gave Wesley a disappointed look. "Are you one of them or do you just work for them?" Harrigan asked.

Wesley said nothing. "I couldn't find any record for your existence. I thought maybe you were an FBI informant or secret service. All of Garber's team is dead except you. Where were you after the alien was captured?" Harrigan asked.

Wesley continued to say nothing. Harrigan nodded and then Wesley received another injection. "When you've been on the streets like I have you get acquainted with a number of different drugs. This drug will force you to tell me everything I want to know," Harrigan said.

Wesley fought the drug but it was already affecting him. "Are you human?" Harrigan asked.

"No," Wesley growled as he fought to keep himself silent.

"You are one of those alien creatures?" Harrigan asked.

"Yes," Wesley answered.

"Why are you here?" Harrigan asked suddenly intrigued.

"To hunt," Wesley spat.

"What are you hunting?" Harrigan pressed.

"Humans transformed into us," Wesley struggled.

"How are you human now?" Harrigan continued.

"We have a serum that can change DNA," he said.

"How many of you are on the planet right now?" Harrigan asked.

"Twenty to thirty," Wesley said.

"Are they all with you?"

"Some are scattered around the planet."

"What is your position?"

"A…Prince," Wesley said reluctantly.

Harrigan eyed Wesley with surprise. "That makes you the big cheese," Harrigan smiled.

"What is Lex in relation to you?" Harrigan asked.

"A mate," Wesley said.

"She knows who you are?" Harrigan asked surprised.

"Yes."

"Well, your majesty," Harrigan mocked. "She helped us to create a trap for your people."

"I know."

"How do you feel about that?"

"She is deceptive and cunning," Wesley admitted.

"Where is your ship?"

Wesley fought hard and then gave up the coordinates to where the ship was located in LA. He then forced Wesley to identify the spot on a map. "Prepare a team," Harrigan ordered one of his team members.

"This is what I understand. You took the badest mother fuckers from humanity and turned them into monsters. Then you lost control of them and so you're hunting them down using the police to help you," Harrigan said

"Does that sound right to you?" Harrigan asked.

"Yes."

Suddenly, a dozen Yautja male warriors decloaked in the warehouse. "How?" Harrigan asked stupefied.

"Tracking device," Wesley smirked.

The police immediately fired on the alien warriors but they were quickly dispatched. Some of them were caught in a net and hung upside down while speared through. Others were hit with shuriken blades while others were stabbed through. Harrigan was quickly alone.

The Duke extended his blades and sliced off Wesley's handcuffs. The Yautja warriors created a circle around Harrigan and Wesley. "Kill him," Wesley ordered his brother, the Duke.

"Fight," he said in English.

Wesley glared at the Duke and then turned to Harrigan. The Chief pulled out his pistol and fired at Wesley in the arm. Wesley clutched Harrigan's wrist and forced the pistol out of his hand. He then kicked it out of the circle. Harrigan punched at Wesley in a brawling fashion. Wesley was physically fit but he had been shot and the truth serum had weakened him. The two brawled fairly evenly as the Yautja warriors watched on.

After a few minutes, both were barely able to stand. Harrigan was ten years older since he faced a Yautja in 1997. He was weakened and could barely catch his breath. Wesley stumbled about towards Harrigan but was suddenly punched to the head. He fell to the ground stunned. The Duke aimed at Harrigan and fired two blades into his leg. Harrigan fell to the ground and clutched his leg.

"You look weak, brother," the Duke commented.

Wesley was on the floor seemingly passed out. Green blood started to leak from his wounds. "I have been in your shadow for so long. You were always the hero of the people and a symbol of righteousness," the Duke said disgustedly.

"But now I will have your wives and your ship," the Duke said. "It is our way."

Wesley said nothing even as the Duke aimed his blade to slash his throat. A force suddenly hit the Duke hard knocking him off balance and into the circle. Lex was half human half Yautja as she stood in front of Wesley. Her body was changing before his eyes, but something was different this time. Lex's body was that of a female Yautja but her face still looked humanoid and her hair was still wavy from her scalp. She kept her human chin, mouth, lips, nose, and eyes. Her clothes were torn and resemble rags. Parts of her body continued to change but in a controlled fashion. Her change to Yautja was inevitable at this point, but she was controlling which changed first.

Lex kept her eyes human last so she could still see her opponent. The Duke took off his mask and put it aside revealing his face. Without his mask, he couldn't see as well as before. Lex attacked the Duke but he easily blocked her attacks and kicked her away. Harrigan got up and punched the Duke to the gut, but he was cast to the floor. Lex got behind the Duke and pulled his arms back in a lock. Harrigan punched at the Duke's undefended midsection but was then headbutted to the ground once more. He then broke Lex's grip and quickly threw her to the ground.

The Duke laughed at his two opponents. "I considered making you my mate as well but you would embarrass me," the Duke said of Lex.

He readied his blades against her just as Harrigan tried to grab hold of the Yautja. The Duke sliced at Harrigan slashing his shirt open. Lex grabbed the Duke's bladed arms and tried to hold him in place. The two struggled with Lex losing strength with every second. The Duke then slashed down with both arms slicing into Lex's shoulders. Her muscles were torn up and no longer functional.

"I will teach you how to die like a Yautja warrior," the Duke said to her. "Kneel and lift your head high in defeat," the Duke said to her.

Lex ignored his advice and slammed into the Duke. He sliced her through with his right arm blade. He then raised his left arm blade to behead her. Just as he was about to swing, it was caught by another Yautja arm. The Duke struggled against the Prince who was now fully Yautja. He had snapped the handcuffs once he had regained his strength. He was in tattered human clothes and was without armor or weapons. The Duke struggled with Lex to free his right hand but she kept a firm grip.

The Prince locked the Duke's arm behind his back and then broke it with a sickening crack. The Prince then put his arms around the Duke's neck to choke him out. The Duke struggled with both Lex and the Prince but then his neck snapped with a strong twist by the Prince. The Duke fell to the ground lifeless. Lex forced the Duke's arm out of her gut and lost all strength.

The Prince shed his human clothes and looked around at the other Yautja warriors. "My armor and weapons," he ordered.

One Yautja warrior immediately handed him his mask, his plasma cannons, and wrist blades, along with a belt around his waist. Once the Prince was finished he started at a bleeding Lex and a beaten Harrigan. "My Prince. Your orders?" the leader of the Yautja asked.

The Prince spun quickly and a laser from both arms sliced 360 degrees hitting every warrior present. The beheaded warriors fell to the ground with a thud. The Prince then submitted orders into his wrist band for a pickup. He then turned to Harrigan and Lex.

"Don't move or the bleeding will quicken. Help will arrive soon," he told her.

The Prince then focused on Harrigan. "I promise that your skull will be ranked highest among humans in my collection," he said.

Harrigan got to his feet and stood at attention. "I knew you would be back," he muttered. The Prince sliced him through the chest killing him instantly.

* * *

Lex was escorted back to the ship where the Prince's doctor healed her surgically. The Prince cleaned Harrigan's skull and placed it highest on his rack. The rest of his loyal men cleaned up the mess at the warehouse. The cops that were sent to find the ship were slaughtered along the way by the Duke's warriors.

Once the doctor was finished, Lex was completely changed back to Yautja. She ventured onto the bridge of the ship. "Prepare to send a transmission to the King," the Prince ordered his warriors.

"Are you healed?" the Prince asked Lex.

"Yes."

"What you witnessed is not uncommon within the royal family. It is fortunate for you that you will be made my last mate," the Prince said implying that a hypothetical wife beneath her could try to kill her off.

"What about the Duke's wife and children?" Lex asked curiously.

"They will suffer the same fate once I send my transmission," the Prince said coldly.

Lex hesitated to say anything but then addressed the Prince strongly. "You can't do that. They're innocent," she protested.

"Innocence is irrelevant. It is to deter," the Prince answered and then walked off.

Lex's mind raced as the warriors worked on the communications. She quickly took a plasma rifle and blasted the console creating an explosion inside the ship. The Prince quickly knocked the weapon out of her hand, grabbed her by the throat, and slammed her up against the wall.

"Status?" he demanded.

"It is not functional," they reported as they worked to put out the fire.

"You have destroyed our communications with any other ship or system," the Prince said angrily.

"Good," Lex gasped.

The Prince let Lex go. "Now you care about Yautja lives," he said bitterly. "Repair the station," the Prince ordered and then walked off.


	19. Xeno Queen

Lex was present in human form as Chief Harrigan was laid to rest in a city cemetery. There were a large number of dignitaries from all over the LA area and even some from out of state. The official explanation for his death was that he was killed in a drug bust. A number of other officers were also buried at the same time.

Lex felt guilty for Harrigan's death and hated herself as a person. She had compromised on so many things and was in the company of violent murderers. As the funeral continued, Lex could sense that someone was watching her. She cast a red rose on the casket and walked off.

* * *

Meanwhile, back on the ship, the Prince oversaw the repairing of the communications center Lex had destroyed. "My Prince, we do not have the parts to repair our communications," a subordinate guard said.

"Can you improvise?" the Prince asked impatiently.

"It is…possible that the humans may possess the parts we need," the guard said.

The Prince curled his lips at that as if insulted by the very suggestion. "Tell me what we need and I will see to it," he ordered.

Another subordinate guard came to the Prince to address him. "What is it?" the Prince asked annoyed.

"We found something in the planet's oceans."

Lex was called into the ship for an emergency meeting. As she came into the ship, the Prince's guards were examining a hologram of Earth. Lex felt queasy as she wondered if this were some sort of invasion. She saw a number of dots on the coasts of South America, Africa, and Australia.

"There are reports in the southern hemisphere of the planet of animal attacks on the coasts," the Prince explained.

Lex nodded, she had heard about this on the news. "The attacks are consistent with that of a Xenomorph attack," the Prince continued.

"How?" Lex wondered.

The hologram map focused on the island off Antarctica. "The Xenomorph Queen was not destroyed in the usual way. Its head was never recovered as a trophy because the three youths were not able to defeat it. Instead, it was cast to the bottom of the sea for future recovering. But that recovery never occurred, because of the Xenomorph hybrid attack," the Prince said disgustedly.

"What are you saying?" Lex asked.

"The Xenomorph Queen is alive and has reproduced using the marine wildlife as hosts," the Prince said.

Lex gave the Prince a stunned look. "But it was frozen at the bottom of the ocean. It was chained up," she protested.

"The chain is made of metal and will corrode quickly in saltwater. The Xenomorph can also hibernate in extreme cold environments like space," the Prince said.

The hologram map showed temperature changes in the Earth's oceans. "Due to climate change, the waters surrounding Antarctica have warmed freeing the Xenomorph Queen. As summer approaches the southern hemisphere the temperature will become warm enough for the eggs to hatch."

"There are millions, maybe billions of fish in the oceans," Lex realized with horror.

"Your concern is justified. If it is not stopped all of Earth's oceans will be void of all life. And then the Xenomorphs will eventually come on land," the Prince said.

"We have to stop them," Lex said alarmed.

"We are one ship and you have damaged our communications. We will not be resupplied or reinforced," the Prince said annoyed at her.

"You have to do something," Lex demanded.

The Prince saw his subordinates staring at him as he talked in English with Lex. It was surreal to have prey even on the bridge and even more so to be conversing with the Prince. "Come with me," he ordered her.

Lex complied following the Prince to one's of his chambers. The Prince sat down on this throne and closed his eyes in reflection. "To save your planet I will be risking my life as well as my subordinates," he said.

"It is your fault this happened. I didn't hold the Queen in a pyramid so you could hunt them every one hundred years," Lex said angrily.

"I wasn't involved in that decision. That decision was made, by my ancestors, thousands of years ago. You failed to contain the epidemic," the Prince accused.

"I was a rock climber and a travel guide. It wasn't my responsibility," Lex argued.

The Prince paused to consider his options. "If I save your planet you must become my mate and bear me children."

There was a long pause between them. "You can't just arrange things like this. We don't have a relationship. I hate you," Lex said truthfully.

"The deal stands," the Prince said dismissively.

"You won't let the Earth die. You need us, humans, to hunt," Lex called his bluff.

"There are hundreds of worlds upon which we may hunt. Losing Earth would be a tragedy, but one we can accept. Besides, if I die to save your planet I will never be able to hunt humans in this life," he said.

"In this life?" Lex asked skeptically.

"In the next life I will hunt the damned human souls for all eternity," he said.

"That's sick," Lex said disgustedly.

"You should read our holy texts if you hope to understand us," the Prince shot back.

There was a pause between them and the other hoped to call the other's bluff. "Alright, I'll do it," Lex said finally.

"Good. A shuttle will be departing to the nearest outpost so that Yautja Prime will be told what has happened here so reinforcements may arrive. In the meantime, we will immediately begin the hunt against the Xenomorphs so as to save your planet," the Prince said.

The Prince then lifted himself from his throne and towered above Lex's frail human form. "There is a high likelihood I will die to save your world. I desire an heir from you before I perish. The child will be unique in the species," the Prince said authoritatively.

Lex simply stared at the Prince as she realized what he wanted. "You will remain on the ship until you revert back to your Yautja form," he ordered.

Lex simply said nothing as shock crept in. The Prince walked off back to the bridge leaving her alone with her thoughts.

* * *

The ship rose from the LA construction site and using a cloaking device disguised the disturbance as an earthquake. The ship accelerated into space and aimed towards the Antarctic continent. Lex and the Prince watched the viewscreen as the ship reentered Earth's atmosphere and found the island.

"Land your team on the surface and begin setting up charges," the Prince ordered his subordinate guard.

"Charges?" Lex asked curiously.

"We must close up the hole and make sure the humans do not discover the pyramid," he said.

Lex watched helplessly as the Yautja warriors went to work to plug up the hole and remove any evidence of the massacre that occurred there. Every member of the crew that had gone down there would have died in vain. None of the discoveries made would ever be brought to light.

"Prepare to dive below the surface," the Prince ordered.

The Yautja ship lowered down into the icy water and kept its cloak to block sonar. The ship's instruments immediately worked to identify the various species of fish in the water. The ship cruised deeper into the ocean until it was pitch black. The pilot became dependent on his instruments to know where he was going.

"Send out the probes," the Prince ordered.

Small black spheres exited the Yautja ship and immediately started scanning the bottom with a red light. As the probes scanned, a hologram map of the bottom surface was detailed. The water tower was quickly discovered but not the Xenomorph Queen. The chain holding the Queen gone had been broken off. The probes then began searching the general area for any sign of the Queen. The ship's sensors created a red flash once the probes had found something.

"We have detected the Queen's blood," the pilot informed the Prince.

"So, she's here somewhere," the Prince said softly.

* * *

Hours went by as the probes continued their search for the Queen. Meanwhile, the guards on the island had laid down the charges and then detonated them. The hole was completely filled up and all evidence of the whaling village was gone. Lex waited in her room as the Yautja continued to monitor their screens.

Her brown skin was becoming yellowish and patterns were starting to emerge. With each passing moment, she was getting closer to becoming an adult female Yautja. Thoughts of how she could be a mother to an alien baby, a monster baby went through her mind. Could she ever love such a child? During her human life, she had dreamed of meeting the right guy and having a normal family. Now, she was stuck in a nightmare.

As the changes continued, she took her human clothes off and slept while the Yautja searched.

* * *

Within a day the probes found a Xenomorph biological signature near an underwater volcano on the fault line. "Clever girl," the Prince muttered.

"If we use our laser systems it could cause an eruption on the ocean floor," one of the guards noted.

"We must capture the Queen alive and use her as bait. The other Xenomorphs will come to her aid," the Prince reasoned.

"Temperatures will exceed tolerance level close to the volcano and poisonous gases will be present. The pressure is higher than any we have encountered my Prince," a guard said.

"Good, it sounds like quite the challenge. Begin preparation for a walk on the surface," the Prince ordered.

Lex watched curiously as the Yautja put on modified suits. It was the first time she saw them suit up so extensively before. Each Yautja put a modified helmet on, which would protect their cranium from the enormous ocean pressure. They placed a scuba tank on their back which was then connected to their helmet through a series of tubes. Instead of flippers, the Yautja wore boots resembling that of astronauts. Monitoring equipment and tools were placed on their belts, wrist bands, and on the sides of each leg. Each warrior had a plasma cannon on their right shoulder and a spear.

"Each of you will have a self-destruct mechanism, but it will only be triggered by me. Otherwise, in your passion, you may destroy yourselves and additional members of the crew. If I am killed then the pilot will order the self-destruct. The use of the self-destruct is of last resort. We do not want the humans to come here searching for radiation signatures. Understood?" the Prince said.

"Yes Sir!" they all said enthusiastically.

"Our mission is to survey the area. If you encounter the Queen attempt to capture her but do not kill her," the Prince ordered.

The Yautja warriors then went to dive bay, which was a pressurized room with an opening in the bottom. Each warrior dived into the water and hit the bottom with a thud. Immediately their boots stuck to the surface so they wouldn't float away. The warriors then marched in a wedge formation on the ocean floor.

Lex watched the viewing screen as the Yautja slowly made their way across the ocean floor. On the ocean floor, it was pitch black requiring infrared scanners in their helmets. The Yautja would occasionally see temperature flashes, which were fish. Lex waited anxiously as they moved closer to the underwater cave. Part of her wanted them to succeed to save the planet, but another part hoped the Prince would die.

The ship sent an energy sensor wave towards the Yautja and saw a large group of temperature readings. The pilot immediately attempted to decipher the information. On the ocean floor, a Yautja warrior was suddenly hit.

"I am detecting multiple large signals in your area," the pilot reported.

"Can you identify?" the Prince asked.

"No, I cannot tell what they are," the pilot replied.

Lex looked at the familiar shapes on the screen. She saw the familiar shape and fins. "They're sharks," she said.

"What is a shark?" the pilot asked.

"It is a fish with large jaws and sharp teeth, but they don't swim this deep," Lex explained.

The pilot watched as several dozen of these "sharks" swarmed around the Yautja warriors on the ocean floor.

* * *

The sharks swarmed around the suited Yautja warriors and then snatched them one by one. The Yautja rallied in a tight circular position so they could fire their weapons in all directions. The sharks were modified Xenomorphs. They were black in color with Xenomorph skin; there were holes acting as gills on their sides, and their teeth were similar to a Xenomorph mouth. The Yautja warriors fought for their lives blasting the water with ineffective plasma bursts. They threw spears, nets, and projectiles at the sharks which clouded the water in green blood.

Lex watched on the screen as the sharks continued their assault biting at the Yautja limbs. "Have them retreat," Lex told the pilot.

"That is the Prince's decision," the pilot replied irritably.

More sharks moved towards the Yautja force as they sensed the green blood. The pilot sent out information to the Yautja team that they would be overwhelmed. The Yautja force slowly moved back towards the ship. The Yautja ship attempted to target the sharks that were a far enough distance away from the team. Plasma bursts went through the ocean water and destroyed some of the sharks. However, the majority of the sharks were too close to the team for a good shot.

Lex watched wondering if it would be so bad if the Prince were eaten by a mutated shark. The team suffered additional causalities as they moved as a unit towards the ship. Sharks would grab a Yautja and fling him away from the rest of the team where he would then be destroyed by the other sharks. Finally, they reached the ship and went inside.

* * *

The Prince took off his suit and ordered medics to the scene. Some of the Yautja survivors were bitten with severe wounds; the floor was covered in green blood. One of the Yautja took a netted dead shark to another room for examination. The Prince gave one last look to his injured comrades and then entered the laboratory with the shark. Lex walked into the room and saw the shark on the table.

"DNA analysis confirms it is Xenomorph," a Yaujta scientist told the Prince.

The scientist then cut the jaws of the shark with an acidic resistant tool and opened its mouth. The Prince could see the secondary jaw inside. "The creature appears to sense through echolocation. We could use that to our advantage."

"Modify our instruments so that we may be able to create constant echolocation pulses," the Prince ordered.

The Prince then noticed Lex in the lab. "Did you fear for me?" he asked.

"No," Lex said truthfully.

"Good," the Prince said and then walked towards the bridge.

* * *

On the bridge, the pilot identified a new watercraft nearby. The screen displayed the familiar shape of a naval submarine. "It is powered by a primitive nuclear fission reaction and a type of electrical system," the pilot reported.

"It has a complement of 40 torpedoes that can penetrate our hull," the pilot continued. "It also has one nuclear-tipped missile."

The Prince considered the possibilities and then turned to the pilot. "Jam their communications and use a tractor beam on the ship. I want that missile," the Prince ordered.

"Why? You're cloaked," Lex protested.

"If we destroy the ocean floor it will expose our weapons to your planet, but if we use a human-made weapon it can be blamed on your nation," the Prince said.

"What about the crew?" Lex asked.

The Prince said nothing. The US submarine's communications were jammed as they were being gently pulled towards the Yautja ship. The submarine didn't have weapons, so they had no idea what was happening. The Yautja ship opened a hanger bay and allowed the submarine inside.

"All capable warriors: proceed to the hanger bay and secure the alien vessel. They will be armed with projectile weapons," the Prince said through the intercom.

"Please don't kill them. They didn't sign up for this," Lex pleaded with the Prince.

The Prince looked at her and then made his way to the hanger bay.

* * *

The Yautja assembled in the hanger bay looking down on the submarine. Their weapons focused on the submarine exits. Eventually, crew members opened the hatch and took defensive positions with automatic rifles.

"Exit your craft and you will not be harmed," the speaker system said in English.

The submarine crew exited the craft and looked around in amazement. The officers came out and walked on a bridge to the rest of the hangar bay. The Prince waited for the captain to approach him. He was apprehensive but kept his calm. Lex was at the Prince's side wondering what he would do.

The captain then stood at attention and addressed the Prince. "Captain Summers of the USS Stingray, a naval officer of the United States of America," he said.

"I am the commander of this vessel," the Prince said in guttural English.

"Are we your prisoners?" the captain asked.

"No, you are my guests. You will come with me so you may be told what has happened here," the Prince said. "Your men will not be harmed."

* * *

The captain then delegated authority to his XO over the crew and followed the Prince inside the ship to another room. The Prince then gave Lex a blue vial. "You will translate for me. I want the human to see a familiar face so that I can gain his trust."

"Should he trust you?" Lex asked.

"Any other commander would have killed all of his men and taken the ship," the Prince reminded her

Lex took the vial, thought about it for a moment, and then injected herself with it. Immediately she felt extreme pain as her body slowly transformed back to human. Once the changes were complete, she put on a skin-tight outfit designed to cover any size. She then walked towards the room where the Prince and the captain were meeting.

"You will translate for me," the Prince ordered Lex.

The captain was surprised to see Lex and wondered if she was a prisoner as well. "This woman is one of us but appears human so we can communicate with your kind better," the Prince said with a series of Yautja clicks.

Lex reluctantly translated the message to the captain. "I understand," he said simply.

"Your planet has an alien infestation in its oceans. If unchecked the infestation will poison every marine-like animal in your ocean and then manifest on land. Every human will be killed as well as all life on this planet. We are in the process of containing the infestation while remaining hidden from your kind," the Prince said.

"What is the nature of this infestation?" the captain asked.

"It is an alien species that creates thousands of eggs. The offspring then impregnate a host, kill the host, and then mature with the host's characteristics. In this case, the hosts are sharks and whales," the Prince said.

"There are millions of sharks in our oceans," the captain said.

"Yes and the alien species are not just limited to sharks and whales, but other marine life. If it comes onto dry land it will impregnate human beings killing the entire human population," the Prince said.

"How did this happen?" the captain asked accusingly.

"How it happened is irrelevant. We are here to fix the problem without the human race knowing. That is why we disabled your communications. Humans can never have any evidence that we were here," the Prince said.

"What about my men?" the captain asked.

"They will be detained until we have eradicated the infestation. We will then release your craft," the Prince said.

"This encounter doesn't have to be a secret. We could be partners," the captain said hopefully.

"In due time," the Prince said vaguely.

The captain was escorted away and Lex stopped translating. "Place the humans into cells. If they resist you may execute them. I want the security codes to access the nuclear missile," the Prince ordered his men.

The Prince turned to Lex. "You translated excellently," he complimented.

"You're going to kill them when you have contained the infestation," Lex accused.

The Prince said nothing. "There are 150 sailors on that boat," Lex told him.

"By stopping the infestation I will have saved seven billion human lives," the Prince said.

"You were the ones that caused the infestation in the first place," Lex argued.

"You don't hold yourself accountable for this at all? You cast the Queen into the ocean instead of keeping it on the surface. As long as it stayed on the island our ship had the situation contained. The Queen would have been killed on the island if our three warriors had failed," the Prince said.

"How was I supposed to know you had a cloaked ship watching as we fought for our lives?" Lex shot back.

The Prince sat in his chair thoughtfully. "What would you be willing to do, so as to keep those sailors alive?" he asked.

"I would do anything," Lex said softly.

"We shall discuss terms once the infestation has been contained. There is no need to discuss this further if we are all destined to die," he said.

* * *

The Yautja removed the crew from the submarine and placed them in holding cells. The Yautja then entered the submarine and took a crash course on how to run the controls. Lex was placed on the submarine as she was the only one they trusted who also had human hands.

"We have cracked the code on the nuclear missile. It is at your disposal my Prince," the Yautja scientist informed him.

"Excellent," the Prince said pleased.

The submarine exited the Yautja ship and headed over to the infestation spot. The Yautja turned on the instruments except for communications. Since Yautja's hands were not ideal for the controls Lex moved around the ship inputting commands and turning knobs. On the bridge was a hologram screen of where they were going.

"Impressive that these humans can navigate only on these instruments," the Prince remarked.

Meanwhile, a Yautja team walked slowly on the ocean floor towards the infection spot. They needed to make sure the Queen was inside before launching the missile. As they walked they activated an echolocation scrambler with them. The Xenomorph sharks would be hit with the waves and would stay away from them. The team then went inside the ocean cave. The cave walls were thick with Xenomorph vomit.

The Prince waited patiently as the team made their way through the network of caves. Along the way, the team was attacked by various Xenomorph creatures. One was a black squid that was as large as a Yautja. The team blasted the squid with their plasma weapons as their projectile weapons were ineffective in the water. The Yautja team also encountered crabs, octopuses, and deepwater fish that had all been Xenomorphed. The team continued to fight their way through the caves killing anything that moved.

The team finally encountered a large cavern and the sensors read a dramatic spike in temperature. The team looked over an active underwater volcano and saw thousands of eggs. In the middle was the Queen. The Prince saw a visual of the queen and the thousands of eggs and then motioned to fire. The submarine launched the nuclear missile straight for the cavern.

"Terminate the target," the Prince ordered his team knowing they would all perish.

The Yautja team engaged the Queen and was quickly surrounded by sharks. The holograms indicated casualties immediately. The submarine turned around and went full speed away from the blast. The Yautja ship absorbed the submarine, and then the nuclear missile hit. The explosion ripped through the ocean floor and caused a volcanic eruption on impact. The Yautja shields withstood the blast but none-the-less lost control for a moment. The Yautja ship moved towards the surface and cloaked as soon as it was in the air.

* * *

A few days later, Yautja ships swarmed the planet Earth sending out hunting parties to find the remaining Xenomorphs. Without a Queen, the Xenomorphs would not be able to reproduce. Meanwhile, the Prince did not inform any other ship that he was holding 150 American sailors. The Prince considered what to do with the humans he was holding. He didn't have his brother around to give him advice.

Lex entered the bridge while still in human form with an expectant look. "Let us have this conversation in my chambers," the Prince said to her.

Lex followed the Prince to his personal chambers and waited as he leisurely sat down and drank what appeared to be blood from a goblet. Lex looked around and saw various kinds of weapons as well as his collection of skulls. The throne was metallic with two metal skulls on his armrests as well as an alien Xenomorph Queen above his head.

"As I see it I have two options. I could kill them all or I could transport them to a hunting planet where they can be hunted for sport. Some of them may even survive for a long period of time," he said.

"You could change them to be like me," Lex suggested.

"The transformation of a human to Yautja is strictly forbidden and we only have enough supply for you. That supply can only revert you back to your previous form, but it will not change a human into one of us," he said.

"Then place them on some island to be rescued," Lex said.

"If one person knows of our kind it is not a danger to us, but one-hundred-fifty humans? Your world would know of our existence publicly," the Prince rejected.

"There must be another way," Lex insisted.

The Prince finished his drink and tapped his armrest in contemplation. "What are you offering?" he asked.

Lex simply gave him a blank stare. "This isn't a joke," she shouted at him.

The Prince chuckled as he took another drink. Lex eyed a blade and charged him with it. Before the Prince could move the blade was nearly at his throat. "Release them or you die," Lex said.

The Prince continued to chuckle and threw Lex across the room. Lex got to her feet and took up the blade as the Prince came closer. He knocked the blade out of her hand, and she punched him to the face. Lex backed away as she damaged her hand with the punch. The Prince grabbed her shoulder with one hand keeping her in place. She punched and kicked at the Prince, but he barely felt it. Worn out she stopped struggling against him.

"What do you want?" she asked finally.

"You know what I want," the Prince said.

Lex looked away knowing what would happen next. "Fine," she said resigned.

The Prince quickly injected her in the neck stunning her. Lex immediately felt sick as her body started to change. The Prince placed the empty injector on a table and waited for Lex to change. Lex's clothes tore to pieces as her body grew a foot and dramatically increased muscle mass. Once the change was complete her clothes were like rags. She looked herself over realizing the change was complete. Her senses immediately detected the strong male in the room. Lex tried to control her feelings as he confidently sat on his throne sipping his drink.

Lex walked over to the Prince and then put her hands on his armrests while putting her knee towards his gut. She looked down on him and tried to control herself. The Prince simply stared at her half-naked form mesmerized. "Let the men go and I will give you what you want," she said.

The Prince simply stared at her. "Done."

"Do I have your word?" Lex asked.

The Prince pounded his chest for emphasis. "You have it."

Lex looked at the Prince uncertainly. "I don't know what I am doing," she admitted.

"I will teach you," the Prince said.

He touched her body with his clawed hands and then pulled the loose clothing of her shoulders. He then grabbed her sides and lifted her into the air as he stood up from his throne. He brought her back to the ground and then ripped her dress at the waist so it fell to the ground. Lex felt awkward as she was now naked in her alien skin. The Prince was already shirtless, so he simply undid his belt. Lex couldn't help but eye the Prince in a sexual way. She had been with him in the same way when she had been hormonal back on the game moon, but this was different.

He motioned her towards his bed to which she complied. He laid himself out on the bed comfortably like he was in a sleep position. "In the beginning, you may set the pace," the Prince allowed.

Lex knew what he meant and put herself into position. She eased herself on top of him and cautiously rolled her hips like she would if she were human. The Prince closed his eyes and simply allowed her to experience sex for the first time. Lex could tell that he was larger than anything she had ever felt before, but she had also become larger as well. As she got used to being penetrated, she increased her pace, but still, the Prince was not responsive. Feeling like she was being underestimated, she increased her pace and got on top of him so her breasts pushed up against his chest. The Prince opened his eyes as he showed some interest in what she was doing.

Lex felt exhausted after several moments. "I can't do this all by myself," she told him.

"You ready for me to participate?" he asked.

"How long could you last?" she asked him sarcastically.

"Longer than a human," he said.

Lex simply stared at the Prince realizing she knew nothing about a male Yautja's anatomy. She figured he would be done in five minutes, and that would be it. The Prince grabbed her shoulders and rolled so that he was on top. Lex then felt him thrust into her with a speed and force she was not accustomed to. She wrapped her legs around his hips like she had done as a human and held on. As he continued his thrusts he played with her breasts knowing where to squeeze. At this point, Lex started growling as it was becoming too much for her. It was superior compared to what she received from the Prince's wives. As it was happening she thought about having sex with the Prince as many times as time allowed, and even carrying his monster children. As she was getting closer she dug into his tough skin with her claws and finally screamed as the orgasm washed over her.

Lex felt suddenly weak and submissive. She was now at his mercy; she could barely move. "This is just the beginning," he told her.

Lex did as she was told taking directions from him whenever he wanted to change positions. She would put her legs over his shoulders, other times she would be on her belly, and at one point she was on all fours like an animal. When it became apparent she no longer had the strength to even stand up, he held her up so that they faced each other in a kneeling position. Like an expert in female anatomy, he stimulated the right nerve clusters within her breasts. Their mouths were not designed to kiss passionately like humans, but the Prince's skills made up for it.

After a few orgasms, she felt incredibly sensitive to every touch. "You're not going to quit are you?" the Prince asked.

"No, I can take whatever you got," she said determinedly.

The Prince took her up on that offer and put her through a half dozen more positions that could have come from the Karma Sūtra. "Now, I want you to fight me," he said to her.

"What?" she asked confused.

"You will try to get away and I will take you," he said.

Lex was stunned by his request but got out of bed. Her legs could barely move and her body was sore. The Prince stood up and appeared as if he were at full strength. She put her hands up as if to fight him. He advanced her and she punched him but missed; she fell to the floor after losing her footing. The Prince motioned for her to come back up. Lex put all her strength in resisting him but was easily subdued. The Prince put her in a hold and forced her back to the bed for another session. "Resist me," he said to her.

Lex kneed him to the gut, but he quickly put his legs on hers pinning her. Lex fought back with her arms but found herself unable to fight as he continued his thrusts. She lost all of her energy and lay back down. "Do you submit?" he asked her fiercely.

"No," she said and then punched him to the chest playfully.

The Prince looked at her skeptically. "I would go longer but you are just a beginner," he said to her. Lex felt the greatest intensity from the Prince as he worked to finish. Thoughts like whether she should use contraception or whether she was even fertile didn't occur to her. The Prince suddenly shuddered as he finished inside her. Lex saw her time to strike at him. The Prince and Lex struggled even as he continued pumping inside her. Finally, he subdued her and withdrew from her. Lex panted as she felt like she had run a few miles at fast speed.

The Prince went into his shower room and after a short shower, he then proceeded to put his belt, armor, cape, and boots back on. "Impressive for a human," the Prince said to her and then exited the room.

* * *

The Prince then entered the bridge. "Bring me the human leaders," he ordered. The submarine Captain and his officers were summoned to the bridge and were surrounded by Yautja warriors. The officers stood at attention despite the unusual circumstances.

"We will allow your crew to depart on the coastline where your government may recover them," the Prince said to them in English. "Your submarine will be confiscated by us."

The Captain looked down realizing the implications. He had lost a submarine and a nuclear missile. No one would believe that he had been captured by space aliens. He would be court-martialed and jailed for life. The Prince seemed to notice his distress.

"You could defect to another nation," he suggested.

"No, I am an American and I will die an American," the Captain said.

"Then you are invited to come with us. You will be hunted down like sport, but you will have the opportunity to visit a new alien world and possibly survive," the Prince offered.

The captain nodded accepting the deal. He said his goodbyes and last orders to his officers and then they were escorted to a transport ship along with the rest of the crew. "You shall be our honored guest captain," the Prince said.

The captain was then escorted to the room previously occupied by the Duke. A dressed Lex watched as the transport ship sent the American sailors to the coast of Chile. Her legs barely had enough strength to let her stand and her guts felt scrambled. She couldn't process everything that had just happened to her, but she knew that the Prince had followed through on his part of the deal. The Yautja warriors watched as the transport ship came back from deporting the American sailors. They knew that Lex was behind the Prince's merciful actions. They could sense the Prince's signature on her and that made her something more than a freak.


	20. The Wedding

The Yautja ship took off from Earth's orbit and went faster than light towards a gaming planet. Once they got there they deported the poor Captain to the surface. Lex felt bad about the Captain, as he would surely die but it could have been worse. The ship allowed a few warriors off to hunt on the moon, and then made its way to Yautja Prime.

After an exhaustive mating session, Lex was on her knees while the Prince sat on his throne. Lex quickly realized that this "male" couldn't be dealt with in the same way a man could be. He had six other wives he could partake with if she was uncooperative, and thus her leverage was limited. In fact, it was more the other way around. She felt she would be willing to do whatever he said after everything he had done to her. She wondered if the other wives felt the same way.

"You must abandon your human identity. It may be useful to call upon your human past for practical matters involving Earth, but you are to now show loyalty to the Yautja," the Prince ordered.

"As you wish," Lex said defeated.

"I have taken a risk by allowing those humans to live. As part of our agreement, I expect our marriage will have no drama," he said.

Lex knew what he meant. If she did anything to oppose him those 150 sailors would be hunted down by his teams of warriors. "I understand," she said lamely.

"Come with me," he ordered.

Lex followed the Prince to a scientific laboratory where a number of samples were being tested. "Sit here," he said.

Lex did as she was told and then the Prince placed a helmet on her cranium. Before she could protest the Prince activated the machine. It was a learning tool used to give her high volumes of information within a quick time period. The majority of the information would be remembered in her subconscious. At first, Lex saw images, experiences, and information concerning the Yautja, and then it turned towards humanity. The information downloaded into her Yautja brain showed the horrors of humanity. She saw every war, atrocity, act of greed, starvation, thirst, and extreme poverty. She moved to yank the helmet off, but her hands and feet were strapped to the chair.

The Prince turned to his scientist. "Do not let her go until it has been completed," he ordered.

"This will make her a tamed mate for you," the scientist said frankly.

"She has a strong will. I believe it will only last temporarily but if it can last until the marriage that will be sufficient," the Prince said.

* * *

After the procedure was complete, Lex was in a state of shock. It was like viewing the holocaust for several hours straight. She knew why the Prince had done it, and she hated him for it. But she also felt disgusted with her former species. She knew in an abstract way that these atrocities had been committed by reading history but never from this viewpoint. The Yautja had observed and documented every war zone on Earth as well as every humanitarian crisis for thousands of years.

When she was released, she went into the Prince's chambers to argue with him. "You brainwashed me," she accused.

"It was the truth," he said simply.

"Like the Yautja don't have their atrocities and wars? You want me to hate my own kind," she said.

"Your kind is the Yautja now. On a conscious level, you may still have a connection to your former species, but I have planted the seed of hatred within you. That seed will grow until you no longer have any sympathy for humans," he said.

"You want me to think of humans as an animal that can be hunted," she said.

"Precisely," the Prince said.

"Your kind has taken my body and now you want to take my mind," she said bitterly.

"I confess that I am unable to comprehend your sorrow. Your body and your mind have been improved, you have a much longer lifespan, you have access to greater technology, and you may visit any solar system in the galaxy. You are blessed above all humans," he said.

"I didn't choose to be this way," she said stubbornly.

"You would not have survived on the island," he said simply.

"I could have reached the ship, or your kind could have just dropped me off somewhere," she said.

"What happened to you was a crime but the one who did it to you is dead," he said.

Lex had a desire to strike at him for the abuse she had been given but something stopped her. She couldn't bring herself to do it like there was a mental block. It wasn't love but a sense that she would never want to strike her own mate. Lex fell to her knees in confusion.

The Prince touched her chin with his clawed finger. "You will find that I am the most merciful of the Yautja and the most sympathetic with humans."

"You are the lesser evil," Lex replied.

* * *

The Yautja ship landed on Yautja Prime and started unloading. The Prince activated a hologram of a Yautja in charge of news media for the planet. "I am submitting data of our successful mission on Earth against the Xenomorph threat. There are additional records of the glorious dead," the Prince said.

"It shall be done my Prince," the news media executive said.

The Prince then turned to his sixth wife, Kachina, "Make certain she is presentable."

Kachina bowed her head in obedience and went into Lex's room. The Prince then waited for his first wife, Makawee, so that the two could walk together onto the dock. Once the two walked onto the dock, they were greeted with long lines of Yautja soldiers on either side. At the end was an older Yautja with a spear. The oldest son of the King and Prince's brother, Antiman, marched forward towards them. The Prince and Makawee knelt respectfully before him.

"Rise my brother," Antiman commanded.

The Prince stood up along with his wife. Antiman was taller and had greater muscle mass than the Prince but lacked speed and endurance. He had retired as a hunter as he was the presumptive heir to the throne. "Report," Antiman ordered.

"A number of Undesirables have been killed. My scouts continue to search for any additional signs," the Prince began.

"Good. This embarrassment has now been erased," Antiman said.

"I discovered that the Xenomorph Queen from the failed examination escaped her chains at the bottom of the ocean and began splicing with the Earth marine life. I killed the Queen and have contained the situation. The humans are not aware of our presence," the Prince continued.

"I saw your initial report and I have summoned an armada to hunt down the remaining Xenomorph marine life," Antiman said.

"I have more to say," the Prince said. "Our brother who came with me was killed. He tried to betray me, and I killed him. I submit myself to the Courts."

Antiman looked up at the sky and closed his eyes in grief. He then turned to the Prince. "I believe your story, but you must submit to the memory scanner. It shall be done in private."

"Thank you," the Prince said bowing his head graciously.

"If you are proven innocent and father still wishes to kill you then I shall defend you," Antiman promised.

"You honor me," the Prince said.

Antiman then turned to Makawee. "You appear even more beautiful than I remembered," he complimented.

Makawee bowed her head graciously. "You appear healthy, my Lord," she replied.

Antiman then noticed six additional females including Lex were brought forth from the ship. For a moment, he had difficulty telling which one of them was fake but then he noticed Lex's unusual genetic design.

"Let us take a walk brother," Antiman said to the Prince.

The two walked down the halls of the palace building which featured many statues of Yautja warriors. "You still intend to mate with the human?" Antiman asked.

"I have reformed her. She will become Yautja," the Prince assured him.

"I suggest that you keep her away from Earth and impregnate her so that she has no hope of returning," Antiman advised.

"I can impregnate any of my wives, but I do not have a mate that will hunt and kill with me," the Prince said.

"She is a killer…but if she kills a Yautja, I will not be able to defend her as a Prince or as a King," Antiman said.

"I understand. If she kills a Yautja, I will kill her, myself," the Prince promised.

Antiman bowed his head in agreement with his brother. "I shall inform father of your plans and your accomplishments," he said.

The two parted ways and then the Prince walked back to his ship. He inspected each of his wives and then focused on Lex. Her hair had been tightly braided and she was now clothed in ceremonial garments. Each wife had a different color indicating their rank. The Prince was unique among the royals for having only six wives. Other Princes had teams of wives of the same rank or one wife that would be head of hundreds of lesser wives.

Makawee wore black indicating she was the highest-ranked, Nizhoni wore brown, Aylen wore red, Urikia wore purple, Talutah wore blue, Kachina wore green, and Lex wore white symbolizing no rank. Lex wore a sash of orange around her chest and back indicating her future rank after the marriage.

"Did you braid her hair?" the Prince asked Kachina.

"Yes, my lord," she replied.

"It looks good," he complimented.

The Prince actually enjoyed it when Lex's hair was wild and wavy but this was a public function. The Prince then turned to Makawee. "Lead them to the procession," he said to her.

* * *

Makawee lead the wives and Lex to a craft that sent them over to a large stadium. Once they arrived, the seven were escorted by security to their designated spots. The stadium was empty but would soon fill up once the King had arrived. Already the news media was reporting the exploits of the Prince. The King desired to celebrate his son's accomplishments first and his marriage secondly. Once they found their places, Makawee came over to Lex to interrogate her away from the other wives.

"Have you already had sexual relations with my husband?" she asked.

It was a question Lex had heard before but not in an alien context. "Yes, on this last mission," she said truthfully.

"There is no need to be ashamed of it or fearful of me. I am thankful that he only has six wives instead of hundreds like the others. Some wives like to order the other wives around like servants, but I find pleasure in paying special attention to each wife. If you marry my husband, you do not just belong to him but to me as well," she said.

"I understand," Lex said meekly.

"Did you satisfy him?" Makawee asked.

"He said I wasn't bad…for a human," Lex said.

Makawee chuckled. "You will find that we Yautja often associate pain with pleasure. He will never hurt you but if you inflict pain on him while giving him love, he enjoys it more. You must not try to injure him out of malice but out of affection," she said.

Lex understood the masochist concept. "Each one of us has a role within the family. It appears he enjoys hunting with you the most. Are you pregnant?" she asked.

"No, I don't think so," Lex said confused.

"In our culture, the male may use a birth control pill to make himself infertile. It is highly discouraged for females to use a similar pill. The ones that do exist are illegal," Makawee said.

"Sounds like a double standard," Lex objected.

"It is natural for males to want to have sex but not produce many children. It goes against our nature to not want children. When we mate with our husbands, we submit to his rule including how many children he wishes for us to have," she said.

"I honestly don't know what to think of being pregnant," Lex admitted.

"When you become pregnant, your maternal instincts will guide you. The love you have for your child will be unconditional," she said.

Makawee then took out a device and pricked Lex's skin. She watched the device as it read the green blood sample. "You are not pregnant," she told Lex.

Lex felt relief flood through her and Makawee could tell. She handed Lex the device. "If you ever think you may be pregnant, use this device. It will be shameful if the fetus dies because you were in a hunt," she warned.

* * *

The Prince was led by Antiman to a crime laboratory. There were armed guards in case the Prince was found guilty of a crime which would then go before a judge. The Prince was obliged to take this test from Antiman or the King would force him to do so later. The helmet came down on his cranium and eyes. Heir then started to look at the video of the Prince's memories but the visual was wrong.

"Compensate for human eyesight," Antiman ordered.

The video then became clear as to what was happening. Antiman watched as Lex battled Duke and was starting to lose. The scene filled him with amazement as the half human-half Yautja resisted his brother with unusual determination. He then saw the Prince sneak up behind the Duke and break his neck. The Prince then killed Duke's warriors which had betrayed him as well.

Antiman had seen enough to realize that Duke had betrayed the Prince and that his death was both shameful and justified, but he continued to watch. He saw Lex deliberately destroy the communications station to prevent the Prince from ordering the death of Duke's wives.

Antiman turned off the video and contemplated what he had learned. The helmet was removed from the Prince's head. "It would appear that our deceased brother's wives owe a life debt to Lex," he commented.

"That debt will soon be paid once they are executed," the Prince said.

"Would it not be a greater humiliation for them to be under Lex's ownership?" Antiman asked.

"It would be amusing," the Prince agreed. "But unnecessary."

"I am making it necessary. The sins of the husband shall not fall on his wife nor shall the sins of the wife fall on the husband," Antiman said.

"In our history, there have been many rebels and terrorists who have threatened our family's reign. We established peace by making it clear that any individual act of violence would be punished onto the perpetrator, his wives, his children, and his village. The villages then policed themselves and we had peace," the Prince recalled.

"I know the history but this was an isolated case. If Lex is to become one of us, she needs to be given authority over other Yautja. If you disagree with my decision, you may appeal to father if you wish," Antiman said.

The Prince knew that if he appealed he would likely get his way but it would directly challenge the High Prince and future King. "If Lex were to command all of Duke's wives, she would have greater power and prestige than my other wives. My brother's wives shall be under the command of Lex, and Lex shall be under the command of Makawee," the Prince said.

"As you see fit," Antiman allowed.

"I have no need for additional wives. I shall marry them off to commoners or have them hunt in the most dangerous of places," the Prince said.

"You are free to do so but remember that if anything were to happen to you, it would be a shame if your wives were mistreated," Antiman warned.

The Prince and Antiman simply stared at each other knowing the other's intent. "Am I clear of any charges?" the Prince asked.

"The investigation ends here. I will not tell father that you were in human form," Antiman said.

"I appreciate your benevolence," the Prince said.

"Prepare for your celebration," Antiman ordered.

* * *

The Prince was brought before the King over the affairs of his mission, the death of his brother, and his marriage. He knelt before the King as he came into the King's hall. "Rise and embrace me," the King said to him.

The Prince stood up and allowed the King to clasp his hands on his shoulders in a traditional embrace. "My son, you have preserved Earth for generations of hunters. Someday, the humans may destroy each other and ruin their planet, but it will not be by our hand," the King said pleased.

"Many were sacrificed to accomplish this goal," the Prince revealed.

"They shall be honored," the King said. The King and the Prince walked through the halls as they talked. "I have many sons but the death of even one of them saddens me."

"I shall give you a grandson to replace him," the Prince promised.

"Do not be weary and distrustful of your brothers…but always be ready to defend yourself. When I am gone, your oldest brother shall reign. During that transition there could be bloodshed," the King warned.

"I shall remain loyal to my oldest brother," the Prince said.

"I appreciate your loyalty but even that decision may put your small family in jeopardy," the King said. "Of all my sons I love you and your family the most. You have courage and you do not live in excess."

"Thank you, father," the Prince replied.

"That is why I will appear at your marriage ceremony. There are some within the family who do not consider the mating to be legitimate because of her past. My presence will show my support for you," the King said.

Another older Yautja entered the halls with ceremonial vestments. He did not bow before the King and instead placed an old book on a table. "High Priest, I have asked you to come to answer an important question related to my family."

The Prince remained silent. The High Priest was the highest religious authority in Yautja society and an adviser to the King. His decrees were respected even by the Yautja Kings. The Prince knew that his marriage with Lex would depend on the High Priest's ruling.

"Ask your question, my King," the High Priest permitted.

"Is it lawful for my son to mate with a Yautja female that was born a human female?" the King asked.

The High Priest already knew the King's question before arriving, but it was part of their decorum that the King asks officially in the King's Hall. The High Priest already had his answer but looked through the old book filled with Yautja symbols anyway.

"The scriptures say that to have relations with a beast is an abomination. Any species other than Yautja is considered a beast," the High Priest said.

"Is the Yautja female a beast?" the King asked.

"She is genetically Yautja and can conceive Yautja children?" the High Priest asked.

"She is," the King answered.

"Is she a believer in our faith?" the High Priest asked.

The King deferred the question to the Prince. "She is not," he said simply.

The High Priest closed his eyes in contemplation. "The scriptures say that an unbelieving spouse may be blessed by the faith of the believing spouse. The scriptures also say that the believing spouse may convert the unbelieving spouse through his or her example. For this reason, we allow, on rare occasions, to accept such a marriage so long as the children are raised with our faith."

"They will," the Prince promised.

The High Priest closed the book. "If it is discovered that the female is not Yautja, I have the authority to annul the marriage."

"I understand," the Prince said.

"Are you satisfied, my King?" the High Priest asked rhetorically.

"I am," the King replied.

The three of them with an escort of priests and guards walked towards the ship that would take them to the stadium.

* * *

Lex looked around nervously as the stadium started to fill up. There were males, females, and children in the thousands taking their seats. She knew they were all looking at her with interest. Lex wondered if she would be caught as a fake and attacked by thousands of angry fanatical Yautja. Makawee was at her side keeping an eye on her.

"If anything happens to you, we will defend you," she said referring to the other wives.

"I think seven against hundreds of thousands will be one-sided," Lex said.

Makawee then revealed a bomb detonator under her garments. "No, if you are attacked, there will be no side left."

Lex felt disturbed and reassured by that fact.

As the stadium filled up, a loud horn sounded off as the royal family members took their seats in their elite sitting arrangements. All of the attendees suddenly stood up respectfully as they came in. Finally, Antiman arrived with over a hundred wives, adult children, and some of the smaller children. Lex watched anxiously as the Prince, the High Priest, and the King entered the stadium. The stadium gave an alien cheer that was a cross between roars and fast-paced clicking as the King appeared.

"My son and your Prince who has saved Earth," the King introduced.

Lex watched in amazement as the crowd cheered for the Prince. She had no idea the intensity the Yautja had for…hunting humans. The Prince, the High Priest, and the King walked over to the box. Makawee led Lex to her designated place. The Prince and Lex then faced each other with the High Priest and the King behind them.

Lex always knew she wanted to eventually get married. With her busy schedule of climbing cliffs, giving nature hikes, and exploring the world, she was never able to form a solid relationship. She had always assumed that her future husband would be an adventurer like her. On the other hand, she knew many women that were raising children by themselves with deadbeat dads. Was this really her destiny? To marry a space alien? She wondered what her father would have thought about it. In truth, he was the only thing that kept her ties to humanity. The Prince was right about the mind therapy she had been given. She saw a human male as a violent primate resorting to primitive projectile weapons to get their way. They were short, weak, lacked natural weapons, and could be easily killed. Lex stared at the Prince and realized his power physically and socially.

She had been told the Cinderella story when she was young, and in a sense, this was a dream come true. After everything she had gone through, she deserved a Prince. There was no going back to being human. She was stuck as a Yautja and she knew she better adapt to it. From what she could tell, this Prince was the lesser of all evils. On the other hand, she could grab Makawee's bomb detonator and program it to destroy the entire stadium killing the entire royal family and everyone here. Could she do it? Makawee was only a few feet away. What if it was a bluff to reassure her and the detonator was a dud? What if she were killed before she could make sure it went off.

As if knowing what she was thinking, the Prince held her hands as part of the ceremony. "Do you choose to mate with this female? Do you choose to protect her with your life, provide for her and her children, and prevent any shame to come to her?" the High Priest asked.

"I do and I swear," the Prince said.

"Do you swear by the gods of your fathers?" the High Priest asked.

"I swear."

The High Priest then turned to Lex and eyed her suspiciously. "Do you choose to mate with this male? Do you choose to obey him, serve him, provide him with children, and bring honor to his family?" he asked.

Lex felt a moment of weakness as the Prince declared he would protect and provide for her even if it meant his life. Something inside told her that was all she ever wanted from a partner. "I do…and I swear."

"Do you swear by your gods?" the High Priest asked.

"I swear by my God," Lex replied.

The High Priest then touched their hands as they were linked. "This vow shall be unbroken until death claims one of you."

The stadium then erupted in fist-pounding and roars. The news media broadcasted the entire event planet-wide and to some of the colonies. "You did well," the Prince whispered to her.

Lex wasn't so sure. She had just contemplated killing a hundred thousand Yautja in cold blood. She had to find somewhere to be alone, so she could organize her thoughts. Kachina placed an orange garment over her white one to symbolize her new rank. The Prince then embraced Makawee. "Perhaps, I didn't tempt her well enough," she said referring to the detonator.

"It was enough," the Prince said. "She believed the detonator could kill everyone here and yet she didn't move to take it from you."

"Is this progress?" Makawee asked.

"Indeed, it is progress," the Prince answered.

* * *

The Prince escorted his wives to a ship that would transport them to his mansion. Once they arrived, Lex noticed that the servants bowed their heads to her as she walked past them. The Prince then sat on his throne and waited as a number of craftsmen came to see him. They knelt before him as he gave them orders.

"I have plans for a post-marital trip, so I require the statue to be completed soon," the Prince ordered. He then focused on Lex who was awkwardly standing as the others were still kneeling. "Cooperate with them until the statue is completed. Then come to my room once the sun has set," he ordered.

"As you wish, my Prince," Lex said sarcastically.

The Prince dismissed her and craftsmen with his hand. As they left, Makawee entered the room and locked the doors. "How long do you think it will take them?" she asked.

"It could take until evening," the Prince said.

Makawee got on top of the Prince on his throne. "Is that enough time?" she asked.

"Let us find out," the Prince said as he took his wife's garments off.

* * *

Lex was made to stand perfectly still as the craftsmen used small focused lasers and even cutting tools to create her statue. The palace had the statue of every wife in the palace as well as numerous statues of the Prince. It took some time but eventually, the craftsmen were finished. Lex looked over the statue of her Yautja self. She preferred a statue that had her mask on as well as her armor, but it would have been inconsistent with the others.

"Is it to your liking?" the lead craftsman asked.

"That is up to the Prince. I am merely the model," Lex said disdainfully.

"We must have someone's approval before we can leave," the lead craftsman insisted.

"I will retrieve the Prince for you," she said and left the room.

She went to the Prince's throne room and was about to knock on the door when Nizhoni stopped her. "The Prince is occupied," she told her.

"These craftsmen won't leave until they have his approval," Lex explained.

"I understand but none-the-less the Prince is occupied," Nizhoni said.

"Occupied with what?" Lex demanded.

Nizhoni remained silent. "I don't care what he's doing," Lex said.

"Very well," Nizhoni said and then used a remote to unlock the door.

Lex entered the room and immediately discovered it was locked behind her. The Prince and Makawee were naked and surprised by her entrance. Lex tried to back out but couldn't figure out how to unlock the door. Makawee walked up to Lex, but she was not angry.

"Now that you are here, join us," she said.

"Join?" Lex wondered.

* * *

Nizhoni left her station and looked over Lex's statue. "It doesn't show her stubbornness and stupidity," she commented.

"Does it displease you?" the lead craftsman asked.

"No, it shows her positive attributes. It shows her pride," Nizhoni said. "You may depart," she said to the craftsmen and none dared to question her.

* * *

The next morning, Lex woke up late and dumbfounded by what had occurred last night. Her carefully braided hair was now a mess and her clothes were torn to pieces. There were a number of glasses on the table that had hallucinogenic effects. She noticed there were light green stains on her skin, and she felt sore all over. She felt like she had a bad hangover only in an alien body. The Prince and Makawee were already dressed and groomed. Makawee bowed before the Prince and then left the room.

The Prince then turned to Lex. "That was a pleasant interruption," he said to her.

"Nizhoni set me up," Lex accused.

"I should thank her. Perhaps this evening," the Prince said thoughtfully.

"That was one of the strangest things to happen to me," Lex commented.

The Prince sat down on the bed. "It is my understanding that humans practice this as well."

"Yes, that's true but I haven't met them," Lex said.

"It is not too common here either but the opportunity was too good to dismiss. Most of the wives want to spend their night alone with me," the Prince said.

Lex started to remember everything that had occurred last night. It started with Makawee stripping her and then a fight between the two while the Prince watched. Then she was subdued by Makawee and then pleasured by both of them at the same time. Lex felt like some kind of moral code had been broken by what had happened last night.

"How does this whole system work?" Lex asked.

"Every night, I mate with a different wife and then rotate back to the first," he said simply.

"So, can I give my night away to another wife?" Lex asked.

"To acquire favor from them?" the Prince asked. "No, you are simply skipped."

"You have sex every night?" Lex asked in disbelief.

"In the morning as well unless I happen to be on a hunt," the Prince said.

"Have you ever had a night with all your wives at once?" Lex asked curiously.

The Prince stared at her. "A few times."

"Are you normal?" Lex asked incredulously.

"I must admit I am more conservative than my brothers. It is not uncommon for them to have dozens of wives to service each of them for an entire night. I am quite unusual with only seven wives," he said.

"On Earth, we would call that a sex addiction," Lex said.

"Addiction implies I cannot control myself or that I will suffer severe withdrawals if I do not have female companionship. I think it is more likely you will become one before me," the Prince said.

The Prince reached for her hand to lift her out of the bed. "Can you walk?" he asked her.

"I do not know," Lex said uncertainly.

The Prince helped her to her feet and kept her steady. Kachina then entered the room and wasn't surprised by Lex's nakedness or disheveled hair. "Make her presentable for our trip," the Prince ordered her.

"As you wish," she said.

"What trip?" Lex asked.

"It is what humans call a…honeymoon," the Prince said. He was forced to say "honeymoon" in guttural English since there was no Yautja translation for it.

* * *

Lex started up a conversation as Kachina did her hair. Interestingly, Kachina had decided to work on her hair before getting her dressed. "Can I ask you a personal question?" Lex asked.

"You may," Kachina permitted.

"Do you consider the Prince to be evil?" she asked.

"In what way?" Kachina asked not offended by the question.

"I think he enjoys manipulating other people," Lex said.

"It is what Princes do," she said dismissively.

"If there are more females on this planet than males then why don't they take over?" Lex asked.

"Aside from the males having all of the weaponry?" Kachine asked.

"Yes, aside from that," Lex said. "On Earth, I have known human tribes where females have refused to give males sex in exchange for peace in a war, and it has worked."

"Don't the human males simply find replacement females?" Kachina asked.

"No, there is an equal number of male and female humans," Lex said.

"Do these human females not have a sex drive?" Kachina asked.

"It's less than males. Is that not true with Yautja?" Lex asked.

"The males may desire it more, but they also mate more often. The sex drive of a female can be intense if a male is not around. He has sex every day but we may have access to him once every several days and it can be frustrating. That is why in return for having you as a new addition we have access to you," she said.

Lex paused as that sank in. "So, females will never rebel against the males because you want sex as much as they do?"

"In addition to our desire to have children," she added. "You're different from any female I have encountered. You could abstain from sex for months and you have no interest in having children. I cannot even imagine it," Kachina said.

Lex thought about that as Kachina continued braiding her hair. "I have heard stories that some human females are childless their whole lives and have sex only a few times each solar orbit. I cannot relate to that."

"When I was human I was the same way," Lex admitted.

"We are not humans. When you grow to love the Prince and become attracted to his body, you will kill for him. You will do anything for him," Kachina said.

"How can I get him to do what I want?" Lex asked.

"You could try to gain favor with Makawee or even Nizhoni. The Prince favors them above all of us and sometimes listens to them. Your leverage ended with the marriage, and you impressively forced concessions from him while you still had that leverage. He told me about those human sailors you saved from him," she said.

"So, I have leverage over him only when it is just the two of us," Lex considered.

"In time, he will be the one with leverage over you. You will betray your own former species for a baby. After all, he decides if you are going to have one," Kachina said finishing her braids.

Lex felt fear go through her. Would she become that submissive? Would she lose her identity to this new biology? Kachina brought her an orange dress with a symbol on her collar indicating the number seven.

* * *

**San Diego, California**

At the San Diego Naval Base, all of the officers and enlisted sailors from the USS Stingray were interviewed on what had happened. Criminal charges were possible for some of the officers, but they used the legal strategy that they were simply following the Captain's orders. With the submarine gone and no satellite imaging, evidence was difficult to come by. US, Chile, and Argentina ships were at the sight of the nuclear blast attempting to uncover additional clues. Occasionally, a small ship or personal would go missing from the blast site.

"Let's go over this again. You claim that aliens blocked your communications and then captured your submarine. They then used your submarine to fire its ICBM into the ocean floor. And they did this because they didn't want to make it obvious they were involved in the blast," the investigator asked.

"That's correct, Sir. They were fighting an infection of some kind in the ocean and that's why they took our submarine's ICBM. They wanted to kill the infection at the source," the Lt. Commander said.

"If they wanted to hide what they were doing then why are you still here?"

"You would have to ask them. Maybe they didn't think you would believe me."

"Well, frankly, I don't believe you and I think...," the investigator continued.

Behind the glass, Colonel Stevens and Miss Yutani watched. She was being asked to be a consultant in the unusual case. "I have seen enough," she said to the Colonel.

"What do you suggest we do?" Colonel Stevens asked. "The aliens that did this have a cloaking device. That explains why no satellite can detect them. We need to find a way to get through that cloak. Once we do that we will be able to get to the bottom of this."

* * *

**Yautja Prime**

Lex boarded the craft for her "honeymoon" voyage. As a human, she had expected her honeymoon to be in Hawaii or in Paris. Instead, her alien husband was taking her to some moon with the intention of killing something. A number of warriors volunteered to go along, so Lex knew it wouldn't be exclusively about the two of them. The other wives were staying behind, so her leverage would be a little higher than before. Still, the Prince seemed to exhibit enough discipline to laugh off her advances.

Lex's servants brought female armor, weaponry, and masks aboard the ship where they would be sorted in her private armory. The Prince supervised his servants and then looked Lex over. "In our culture, a post-marital voyage involves either hunting or procreating," he said.

"Hunting then," Lex decided.

"Very well. You will need to take off that dress. It would not be suitable for hunting," he said.

"Do it yourself," Lex replied.

The Prince extended his blades on his right arm. "Shall I do it now?" he asked.

"I am yours," Lex dared him.

The dock was filled with servants, warriors, and those working on the dock itself. "Nudity is not as big an issue as it is in human culture. None of these people would be offended. It would be an amusement," the Prince said placing his blade at her dress.

"Then what are you waiting for?" Lex challenged.

The two stared at each other intently as other Yautjas walked around them. The Prince suddenly withdrew his blade and turned away from her chuckling with a human imitation. He motioned some orders to his subordinates and then walked inside the ship.

Lex enjoyed her little victory against her alien psychopath husband and boarded the ship.

* * *

Inside, she found her room and found her weapons and armor. Deciding to be a little devious, she put on her arm blades underneath her dress. The Prince then entered her room uninvited. "I am surprised you have not changed your dress," he said.

"We are not in public now," she said.

"Indeed," the Prince said and, with expert precision, sliced her dress down the middle. He then advanced on her towards her bed. Lex extended her blades and sliced into his side. The Prince tensed up from the pain and then quickly took control of her arms. Realizing both were bladed, he opened the wrist bands releasing the blades onto the floor. Lex kneed him in the side where it hurt and then pushed him against the wall. The two snarled at each other with their mandibles. The Prince pushed her back and then reversed their positions so that she was up against the wall.

He then pushed her up against the wall with his arms and placed himself between her legs. Lex slammed her hands on his head and dropped down. She then kicked the Prince back forcing him towards the bed. With another kick, she sent him onto the bed itself. She then got on top of him and the two fought for control. It was here that Lex was ready to surrender to the Prince. She was in between hate and love as she wrestled with the Prince. She had surprised and injured him and that was enough for her. The Prince took control of her and then took her completely.


	21. Na'Vi Part 1

The Yautja ship approached the gas giant and started to read the properties of the planet and its moons. The gas giant was as large as Jupiter with swirling clouds including a large giant anti-cyclone that resembled the Red Spot. The atmosphere readings indicated that the planet was majority hydrogen and helium but had concentrations of ammonia which gave it a bluish tint. It had over a dozen moons but no ring system. This planetary system was in the Alpha Centauri star system, the closest to that of Earth. Despite its close proximity it was well outside the capabilities of mankind to visit there.

Lex felt grateful in a sense to be able to see these wonders. As a human, she would never have been given the opportunity to see what she had seen. The Yautja ship traveled around the gas giant and found what it was looking for: a life-sustaining moon.

The moon was slightly smaller than Earth with a powerful magnetosphere that blocked the extreme radiation belt of the gas giant. Due to it being far enough away from the gas giant, it did not suffer from tidal forces. Lex could see the green vegetation and the large oceans that covered the moon.

"You will find that the environmental conditions on the moon are similar to that of the Earth," the Prince said.

"I want to see it," she said.

"And you shall," he permitted.

Lex looked over the instruments and realized that while similarities did exist there were also some crucial differences. The atmosphere held 18% carbon dioxide and lesser concentrations of nitrogen and oxygen than Earth. There were also traces of hydrogen sulfide that would be poisonous. She realized with some sadness that the atmosphere would be poisonous to humans.

"The atmosphere's carbon dioxide concentration is poisonous to us, so we will have to use our masks," the Prince said.

"You have been here before?" Lex asked.

"Many times. This moon has one of the greatest hunting grounds," the Prince said.

"What do you hunt?" Lex wondered.

"You will see," the Prince said amused.

* * *

The Yautja ship descended into the Earth-like atmosphere. The sky was blue and the clouds were white just like on Earth. As they flew through the atmosphere, Lex could see floating pieces of rock. "How is that possible?" she asked.

"It is the same concept as a magnetic train. The charge on the rock formations is the same charge as that of the ground. The two forces repel each other allowing for the rock formations to remain in the air. The magnetic field on the moon is strong in order to repel the radiation coming from the planet. We can use this to our advantage by modifying our flight equipment to repel the metal from the ground. We can fly through the air without having to use fuel," the Prince explained.

As the ship slowed down, Yautja could see giant trees surpassing the Redwood trees she had known on Earth. "The gravity on the moon is less than on Earth because it is smaller and less dense. This allows the plant life and animal life to evolve bigger frames, but it comes at a cost. Less gravity can cause muscular and skeletal deterioration. It is for this reason that we enjoy this hunt the most aside from humans. Our prey is nine feet tall, humanoid-shaped, and have overcome the lesser gravity by developing strong bone fibers," the Prince continued.

Lex looked out the window and saw a flock of dragon looking creatures. Each one was the size of a car and they were an assortment of different colors. "We captured one of these creatures and let it loose on the Earth one time. Eventually, we hunted it down and killed it, but it spawned your dragon myths," the Prince said.

"Amazing," Lex said as she saw them.

The ship descended into a valley. The landing gear steadied the ship once it had reached the surface. "It is time for the briefing," the Prince said.

The Prince entered the mess hall to address his fellow warriors. "We have arrived," he told them.

The Yautja warriors pounded the tables in excitement. "Many of you have heard this warning but for the benefit of our new warriors, I shall give it again. Our prey is physically formidable in strength and they have the advantage of being taller, flexible, and have a longer arm reach than us. They have excellent vision, hearing, and sense of smell. They are particularly skilled with the bow and arrow, which they dip into a nerve toxin. If you are hit with one of these arrows, you will have a short time to use your antidote before you have a seizure and die. Remember that our prey is often in hunting groups so where there is one there is likely to be others close by. They know the land well and that is their advantage. They can communicate telepathically with the trees to spread information across the entire moon. In addition, there are a number of species on this moon that will be hostile towards us. The air is poisonous to us so if you have a malfunction in your mask you are to report back to the ship," the Prince said.

"In addition, the target is able to interact with other species in its environment using a sophisticated network of tendons and nerve fibers. This allows them to communicate primitive directives to the creature as well as increased sensory perception. However, their weakness is that if their creature is injured they will also experience the same pain," the Prince continued.

"How will we draw their attention?" a warrior asked.

"The creatures have a religious connection to the animal and plant life. If we kill enough of these creatures, they will attempt to hunt us. We will also be using the ship's infrared scanners to find their communities," the Prince answered.

The group then broke up and started putting on their equipment. The Prince then turned to Lex and showed her a datapad. "You will be hunting this," he said to her.

Lex looked over the hologram of the creature. "It looks like a monkey," she said.

"They are very fast, agile in the trees, and they can overwhelm in large groups. Bring back a skull and I will promote your hunt," the Prince said.

"Very well," Lex agreed.

* * *

The Yautja ship then landed on the planet and quickly the Yautja warriors exited the ship. The ship then went back into the air and disappeared using its cloaking device. The Yautja warriors including Lex activated their cloaking device and then walked through the forest on their own. Lex scanned the area with her infrared and found nothing, so she switched to other visual spectrums. As she sampled the jungle plant life, Lex wished she had her human eyes. All around her were enormous trees and plant life she had never seen before. She decided to climb the tree with her blades. The forest was so thick that even if she fell she would land on a large leaf or branch from another tree. Once she reached a high enough spot, she looked around scanning the forest for any creatures.

She activated her hologram map and looked for an interesting location. Since she did not know where these creatures were, anywhere would be a good place to go. She went from branch to branch going through the trees until she found herself a waterfall. Knowing water would ruin her cloak, she stayed a distance away from it. She then scanned the area at the bottom of the waterfall and found some heat signatures. They were small and there were a dozen of them. She increased her magnification and determined the shape to be what she was looking for. She moved slowly and cautiously towards her target.

* * *

The Prince was not involved in the hunting party as he was in charge of the ship. Beyond hunting, there were commercial reasons for why they were there. A hologram map indicated where the mineral ore he was looking for. It was a magnetic metal that was very useful in ship production. Upon finding a vein of the ore, the ship's lasers sliced into the moon's crust. When they had made a deep enough hole, a missile was fired into the hole. The ship moved out of the way as the explosion blasted a crater size hole in the ground. The ore was then exposed for mining.

"Set up a perimeter and begin mining operations," the Prince ordered.

The other Yautja warriors felt a tremor from the blast the ship had caused. They all knew that this would surely awake the natives. Three Yautja warriors fired plasma bursts on a herd of angtsiks. The herd became enraged and used their hammerhead-looking heads to bash the trees as they ran away. The Yautja continued to fire on the poor beasts killing them without difficulty. Another team of three went after a pack of nantang. The wolf looking creatures were quick in the forest giving the Yautja a challenge. Another team of three cut them off and sliced them through with spears and captured some of them with nets. Other Yautja chased down a herd of pa'li and shot down the horse-looking animal with plasma blasts.

After they had killed a significant amount of animal life, the Yautja fired on the plant life creating fires wherever they went. The destruction would no doubt entice the natives to come out and attack which was exactly what the Yautja wanted.

* * *

Lex sneaked up on the syaksyuk monkey as they ate fruit from the trees. They resembled apes but were blue and yellow in color and had four arms. In between their first set of arms and their legs along their sides were webs that helped them to glide through the air. They had big eyes that helped them to see in the dark. The animal appeared hairless but was not a reptile. Lex watched as the creatures moved through the trees completely oblivious to her presence. She worked to get closer to one of them and then fired her net gun. The other syaksyuk scattered from the sound of the net gun. Lex drew her spear and then sliced into the net injuring the creature. Thinking it was dead, she put the netted game over her shoulder. It suddenly started to struggle and screech. Lex fought with the creature as it tried to escape. Despite a few punches, the creature seemed resilient and noisy. Finally, Lex swung the netted creature into a tree silencing it.

She then felt like she was being watched. An arrow went by her head and hit a tree. Lex looked around for the shooter and found the source of it. As the reports indicated, it looked humanoid in appearance like a human but taller. Lex sent a message to the rest of the warriors with her wrist band and then fired on the alien warrior. The alien moved quickly to avoid the plasma bursts as they blasted the trees around it. Lex watched as the alien escaped into the forest. She took the dead syaksyuk with her and went back towards the ship.

* * *

When she got back, there was already one fatality. The Yautja had been hit with several poisonous arrows. The Prince performed a funeral rite outside the ship, and Lex was obliged to be present. The body was then cremated. When the funeral was done, the Prince turned to Lex.

"I caught my monkey," she said lamely.

"Good. You will be joining a party to thin out a tribe in the area. They have become too large for our liking," the Prince ordered.

"Not very romantic," Lex critiqued.

"There is no shame in being a child-bearer," the Prince told her.

"I'll pass," Lex told him.

"After you come back, I will compensate you," the Prince promised.

Lex felt herself tense up as she knew what the Prince was implying. Since her transformation, she had been like a child seeing the Yautja as scary monsters. Now, after everything that had occurred, she was like a teenager becoming interested in the opposite sex for the first time. She tried to keep Kachina's warning in mind as she was surrounded by male hunters. She knew the only reason they weren't flirting with her was because of the hunt and death by the Prince.

Two male Yautja then came forth next to the Prince. "The three of you will be assigned together," the Prince told them.

The Yautja males seemed skeptical of Lex so the Prince took them aside. "My wife has killed Xenomorphs, armed humans, and Black Yautja. She is a killer," the Prince assured them.

"We do not doubt her, Prince," one of them said.

"Also, she is just as likely to kill you as the prey. Do not harm her until she has made the first move against you," the Prince instructed.

"This could be interesting," the other said.

The Prince pounded his chest at Lex and then went back into the ship. "When shall we go?" Lex asked her two comrades.

"We leave now," they said.

* * *

As the three went through the forest in cloak, Lex wasn't the leader but she was the VIP of the group. Lex referred to the real leader as Captain and the other one as Hawkeye, because he would often use his mechanical bird to look around. As the mechanical bird scanned the forest for targets, the three sat down in the trees and chatted. Normally, they would be a distance apart but the other two couldn't allow anything to happen to Lex.

"What tribe are you from?" Captain asked conversationally.

"The…Woods tribe," Lex said. Only the elite Yautja knew of her real heritage and it was a classified secret within the hierarchy. Her companions were not made aware of her past.

"Never heard of it," Hawkeye said.

"It was a clan on Earth, but it is now gone," Lex lied.

The two bought the explanation as they ate their lunches. "How did you meet His Highness?" Captain asked.

"We happened to be hunting in the same human city, and we saw each other," Lex continued.

"This Prince is really frugal when it comes to wives. He must have seen a special talent in you," Captain remarked.

"So, how many wives do you have?" Lex asked.

"I have four," the Captain said.

"Just two for me," Hawkeye said.

Lex wondered if being the wife of a Prince was really better than being the wife of a commoner. As a commoner's wife, she would have had more attention but these two brutes seemed less civilized than the royalty. If it came down to being the hundredth wife of a Prince, she would have settled for a commoner instead.

The mechanical bird came back and reattached itself to Hawkeye's shoulder armor. The Yautja started watching the video from the bird and acquired a decent target. "There is a team of prey hunting a close distance from here. They have bows and arrows," Hawkeye said.

"I will take the first kill. Then you and then the princess," Captain ordered.

* * *

The three of them jumped from branch to branch in cloak staying close together. Hawkeye led the team from the front, Lex was in the middle, and Captain guarded the rear. They finally spotted the team of humanoids slowly walking through the vegetation completely oblivious to their presence. It was night at the time but much of the plant life glowed in the dark. Captain scanned the one behind the others and fired his plasma cannon. The beam of light struck the humanoid to the neck mortally wounding him. Captain fired again blasting a hole through his back and out his chest. The humanoid fell to the ground dead without realizing what had happened.

The other humanoids turned their bows in all directions looking for the source. Captain rallied the other two to depart in the traditional Yautja way. They would kill the entire team one-by-one during the night. Lex scanned the faces and bodies of the humanoids. Their faces looked like a fusion of human and cat. They had human-looking faces with cat nostrils and ears. Their hair was long and braided like the Yautja. It seemed too coincidental that humans, Yautjas, and this creature all looked humanoid. Was this frame the only way a species could be sentient?

Hawkeye was suddenly hit with a nerve toxin arrow right to the chest. He quickly took the arrow out of his chest and injected himself with the antidote. The warriors start firing all of their arrows at them with one of them bouncing off Lex's mask. Lex wondered how they could be seen in the dark while they were cloaked. She then noticed small white jellyfish looking objects near her. Her mask detected a strong energy signal coming from them but that they were biologically seeds. They resembled dandelion seeds in the air. Whatever they were, there were hundreds of them floating around her giving away her position.

"Withdraw," Captain ordered and the three of them retreated into the forest. The humanoids went after them shooting arrows close to where they were. "Turn off your cloak," Captain ordered them.

The three turned off their cloaks and immediately the seeds floated away no longer attracted to the energy field. The humanoids continued their pursuit but lost the Yautja in the darkness.

* * *

The three of them climbed up a tall tree and reactivated their cloaks. The Captain then relayed to the others that seeds in the air were attracted to the cloaking energy field thus making them clearly visible at night. Their range was a few meters off the ground so it would not affect Yautja hunters in the trees.

The Prince listened to the report on his ship. A hologram map of the area and the locations of every Yautja were visible to him. "That was quicker than the last group I sent here," the Prince remarked to a veteran warrior.

"I recommend destroying their Tree of Souls, my Lord," the veteran advised.

"Only if we have to. It is more sporting this way if the prey can see us in the dark," the Prince said.

As the three recovered from their ordeal, Hawkeye shuttered every so often. He had taken the antidote but the nerve toxin was still affecting him. "Will he be alright?" Lex asked.

"By morning, he will be fine. We will need to keep a watch over him as he recovers," Captain said.

The two of them kept watch over Hawkeye throughout the night until it was morning. During her watch, Lex was mesmerized by the gas giant and the other moons. They reflected light greater than that of a full moon on Earth. If not for the poisonous air and wildlife this place would have been a paradise.

* * *

The next morning, Hawkeye had recovered from his ordeal and was ready for a new hunt. The body of the humanoid that had been killed had unfortunately been taken away. Hawkeye sent out his mechanical bird to find their prey once more. When it came back, it revealed that the humanoid team was nearby and that they were the ones being hunted.

With the seeds nowhere to be found, the three cloaked themselves and scanned the area. A trick Lex had learned over the months was to communicate to other Yautja with nearly silent clicks. The mask could read the clicks and then send the message electronically to the other Yautjas. In this way, they could remain quiet and still communicate with each other.

Hawkeye was eager to redeem himself from his near-death experience with inferior prey. He snuck up on a humanoid slicing him through the chest with his spear. The humanoid struggled briefly but died almost immediately. The other humanoids noticed their comrade was missing and went to investigate. Hawkeye dragged the heavy body into the forest, but he was slowed down. Captain and Lex gave him cover fire blasting the forest with plasma bursts. The humanoids scattered as the forest erupted in flames. Hawkeye noticed that the humanoid's body was too heavy to drag around, so he quickly cut its head off and bagged it.

Lex realized with some dread that she was next. The flames made it difficult for her to scan for heat signatures. The three of them moved through the forest trees to catch up with the team of humanoids. Lex targeted one of the females and fired on her. The humanoid fell to the ground hit in the back. The other humanoids surrounded her to defend her. Hawkeye fired a claw projectile that blasted through a humanoid skull killing the warrior instantly. Captain fired a net gun forcing another warrior up against a tree where he could not escape. The last remaining warrior threw down his bow and gave them a defiant look.

The Captain deactivated his cloak revealing himself to the warrior. Hawkeye sent his bird to survey the area, so they wouldn't be ambushed while Captain fought. The humanoid warrior and the Yautja circled each other both holding knives.

"You kill my people, my friends!" the humanoid said in his language.

Lex could understand the humanoid's language through the translator chip in her head. This creature talked more like a human than the Yautja. Captain said nothing in reply and then the two fought in close combat. As the two fought, the injured female crawled away unnoticed. The Yautja and the humanoid sliced at each other, but it seemed like Captain was enjoying the fight more. Lex stared at the humanoid desperately fighting for the lives of himself and his comrades and then back to the blood-thirsty Yautja. As the fight dragged on, Lex found herself conflicted. Captain eventually exploited the humanoid's weakness by having a tight grip on his hair. Captain forced the warrior to his knees and then struck his head off.

Captain then took his spear and stabbed the other captured humanoid through killing him. Hawkeye and Captain then dragged the corpses together for skinning. "Your prey is getting away," Captain reminded Lex.

"Oh…yes," Lex remembered.

Using her scanners she went through the forest looking for the injured female humanoid. She quickly found her and started firing at her. The humanoid suddenly fell off Lex's view. Lex got to the site where she had lost the humanoid and saw a giant cliff leading to a river down below. With no other choice, Lex jumped off the cliff and into the water. The humanoid was struggling to swim down the river while Lex pursued her. The humanoid started shouting some kind of religious gibberish as Lex was almost on her. The humanoid struggled to get onshore as Lex walked out of the water. Suddenly tentacles sprung up and started stinging Lex.

The sensation was similar to having her legs on fire. Lex tried to get out of the water but the tentacles started to solidify around her legs stinging her the entire time. In intense pain, Lex fell on her hands to steady herself, but they too became entangled. In desperation, she activated her cloak, but it quickly deactivated in the water.

* * *

Meanwhile, Captain and Hawkeye were too busy skinning to notice that Lex was in trouble or that a small band of humanoid warriors were almost on top of them. Riding horse-like pa'li creatures, the humanoid warriors rushed towards the two Yautja. Once the two realized what they were being ambushed, they activated their cloak and left the scene. The humanoid warriors rode towards the scene and noticing the gentle disturbances in the air as the Yautja moved, fired their arrows at them. The wounded Yautja fired blasting a few humanoids off their animals. The two Yautja went up the trees and went through the branches to escape. However, a flock of ikranay with humanoid warriors riding attacked them. Hawkeye fired on some of the dragons killing them and injuring the rider. He was picked up by the talons of an ikranay and intentionally slammed into a tree branch where he then fell to his death.

Captain saw himself surrounded by ikranay pursuing him. He activated his wristband and started the countdown. An ikranay bit his arm off deactivating the bomb. With his left arm he sliced off the ikranay's head of. The rider and Captain fell towards the ground, the two of them shooting arrows and projectiles at each other until they both slammed into the ground.

The Prince noticed an increase in activity in the hunting zone. He saw readings indicating Lex's two companions were both dead. "We are detecting biological activity headed towards the mining base," a pilot reported to the Prince.

Infrared scans indicated clusters of wildlife were headed towards them. "Bring everyone into the ship," he ordered.

The Yautja miners ran towards the ship as humanoids on pa'li and ikranay flooded the area. Most of the miners managed to escape the shower of arrows on them. The warriors then shot arrows at the Yautja ship.

"How quaint. Fire at will," the Prince ordered.

The Yautja ship fired continuously on all targets but the warriors persisted in their struggle. "Sir, there is a danger that the bodies of the flying animals may plug up our engines," the pilot warned the Prince.

"Take us higher," the Prince ordered.

The Yautja ship went up higher into the atmosphere until the ikranay could no longer reach them. The humanoid warriors cheered with their bows in the air believing they had won. The Yautja ship then turned its nose down towards the mining spot.

"Full power. I don't want to have to clean up any corpses off my mine," the Prince ordered.

The Yautja ship fired a crust splitting beam towards the humanoid warriors. The beam impacted the ground causing a massive explosion of fire and rock. "Target their sacred tree and destroy it," the Prince ordered.

The Yautja ship moved across the moon at high elevation and then located the tree out in the open. The Yautja ship fired on the tree incinerating it down to its roots. The Prince clapped his hands in satisfaction. "Order all hunting parties to regroup at the alternative camp," he ordered.

* * *

Lex was too much in pain to consider the powerful tremors. She dragged herself out of the water with red burned skin. Through the pain, Lex felt hate towards the humanoid female and went to kill her with her blades. The humanoid fought back with punches and kicks. Lex absorbed the blows and sliced at the humanoid's skin causing deep wounds. The two then circled each other both too exhausted and hurt to continue. Lex finally grabbed the humanoid by the throat and was ready to slice her head off when a dozen warriors erupted from the forest and aimed their bows at Lex.

Realizing death was imminent, Lex let go of the female humanoid and fell on all fours in submission. Her legs and arms were in such pain that she wished one of these aliens would kill her. "Demon!" one of the warriors spat and then moved to slit her throat with his knife.

"Stop!" the female humanoid interrupted.

"These monsters have killed many of our people and destroyed the Soul Tree," the warrior said angrily.

"That is why we must make her a prisoner, so we can learn about them," the female humanoid said.

While they were distracted, Lex considered activating her bomb detonator killing herself and the dozen warriors around her. It would be the Yautja way her training told her. All she would have to do is move the bar across and push a small button. Lex was about to do it but stopped herself. She believed in Hell and that's exactly where she would go if she did it.

The warrior snarled angrily at Lex and then started to disarm her. He rudely took off her mask making it difficult for her to breathe and decreasing her vision. Lex gasped for breath as carbon dioxide started poisoning her. Her plasma cannon and blades were then taken off as well as her armor so that her breasts were exposed. The female humanoid seemed to notice Lex couldn't breathe and was about to pass out.

"Give back the mask," she said.

The warrior then placed the mask on the ground near her. Lex grabbed the mask and placed it on her face. She quickly connected the tubes and started breathing normally again. She was then forced to walk with other warriors back to their village.

* * *

At high elevation, the Prince could see a large tree surpassing all the other trees dozens of times. It was higher than any Yautja skyscraper and was home to a village of humanoids. A hologram mapped out the tree roots. "Prepare to fire," the Prince ordered his pilot.

The Yautja weapons charged up to destroy the tree from an elevation no arrow or ikran could reach them. The Prince then noticed there was a signal coming from the tree. "My Lord, the Princess' signal is at the base of the tree. Do we proceed?" the pilot asked.

The Prince hesitated as he saw the signal on the hologram of the tree. The signal came from Lex's mask, but it would still continue working even if she were dead. "Shall we fire?" the pilot asked.

"No," the Prince ordered. "Proceed to the alternative meeting place."

The Prince then exited the bridge disappointed.

* * *

Lex was brought before the base of the skyscraper tall tree the humanoids inhabited. Inside the tree, itself were a number of large tree roots. The room resembled a cave and was filled with the humanoids excited to see her. Many of them touched her and then dashed away. She was then brought before a throne of a sort where the humanoid leaders were present.

The humanoid female addressed her father who seemed to be their leader. "Father…I have returned," she said, and then collapsed at his feet.

"Bring medicine," her father shouted.

The humanoid female was taken away to be healed from her wounds. The angry father then turned to Lex. "I will kill you for what you have done," he said to her.

Lex's translator chip was able to interpret the humanoid. "Only I can save you," she said in his language. Her voice was mechanical but was able to get the message across.

The father raised his blade to kill her but suddenly stopped. "Step back. I will look at this alien," a feminine voice said.

Lex stared at the older female humanoid. She approached her and felt her mask, then her armor and equipment, and then her exposed flesh. She took a sample of her glowing green blood and then tasted it. "What do you call yourself?" she asked.

"Alexa Woods," Lex said.

"Why did you come to our world?" she asked.

"We came here to hunt. We came here to kill you," Lex said truthfully.

"You are a hunter like us?" she asked.

"No, we do not hunt for food. We hunt for the sport of it," Lex said.

She gave Lex a displeased look but kept her calm. "Our people only hunt to survive, and we use the entire body so that nothing goes to waste."

"We hunt you because you are dangerous to us," Lex replied.

"I could kill her easily," a young male interjected but was restrained by the male leader.

"No!" the female leader said to him. "We must learn what we can from our enemy."

"If you let me live, I will help you," Lex offered.

* * *

The Yautja ship blasted away the trees with laser fire creating a large circular clearing. The Yautja hunters deactivated their cloaks and assembled near their ship. The Prince exited his ship and looked around at the remaining warriors.

"This moon is hostile to us but that is why we are here. Some of us have lost comrades and friends in the fighting. My wife is missing," the Prince said as they gathered around.

"It is important that the dead warriors be brought home for proper burial if possible. Bring their bodies back to the ship," the Prince ordered.

A number of warriors then approached the Prince and pounded their chest resolved. "We will find the Princess," they swore.

"Bring her back to me whether she is willing or not. Then you will have my gratitude," the Prince replied.

The warriors went inside the ship to place their clean skulls in their lockers. Medics treated a number of warriors for the wounds they had received from the humanoids.

* * *

The Shaman, the Clans Leader, and a young male warrior Lex assumed was their heir, were present for a meeting away from the others.

"I wish to see your face," the Shaman asked of Lex.

"I cannot breathe the air for very long," Lex told her.

"Only for the moment," the Shaman said.

Lex held her breath and took off the mask. Her vision immediately became poorer as she could only see their outlines. "Put your mask back on," the Shaman said.

Lex gladly agreed and placed the mask back on. After she connected the pressurized air tubes, she was able to breathe normally again. "She is a hideous monster," the young warrior said of her.

"Do not judge by appearances," the Shaman lectured him.

Lex folded her arms like a human impatiently while sitting Indian style. "If you listen to me you may have a chance against the alien hunters," Lex said.

"Why would you help us so easily?" the Clansman Leader asked suspiciously.

"The leader of the alien hunters is my mate. I want him to be humiliated," Lex said.

The Clansman Leader and the Shaman gave each other looks. "Very well. How can we defeat them?" the Shaman asked.

"They have an antidote to your nerve toxin. You will have to make a new toxin. Next, you need to use your arrows to target a vulnerable spot on their body," Lex said. She pointed to the tubes that connected to her mask.

"Their cloak keeps them hidden but when they step around they caused your plant life to glow. The cloak also seems to attract some of your wildlife. The cloak can be deactivated by water. Their eyes see in infrared…they see heat," Lex explained.

"To avoid detection use mud or vegetation to cover your skin. It will hide you from their scanners until the mud warms up. They also have other ways to see you with their mask so if they switch to a different set of eyes they will see you. You have only a few moments to catch them off guard," Lex said.

"Explain their weapons to us," the Clansman Leader asked.

Lex thought about what words to use. "This weapon can kill you with fire," she said giving them a plasma cannon to look over. It is the only weapon you can use that will damage their ships. Your arrows won't damage them," Lex said.

"We need more of these," the young warrior said looking over the weapon.

Lex watched as the young warrior pointed the plasma cannon towards his eye and wondered if any of this would do any good. "Their other weapon is an even more powerful fire, but it takes time," she said showing them the armband detonator. "If you can get a few of them inside the ship, it will destroy it."

A few warriors then interrupted the meeting. "We have seen signs of the alien hunters. There are animal corpses and fires in the forest," they said.

"They are trying to draw you out. They know you have a religious connection to the land and the wildlife. They are trying to provoke you," Lex said.

"We may have to evacuate the tree," the Clansman Leader said grimly.

"No, they will not attack the tree while I am here," Lex said.

"Why not?" the young warrior asked.

"I am their Princess."

* * *

The warriors gathered around Lex as she went over a primitive map of the forest. Pieces of wood were used to mark signs of a Yautja presence. "The alien hunters will not kill children or those that are sickly or disabled. They will not attack you if you are not armed. If you need to go outside the tree, do not carry bows with you. If you are confronted by an alien hunter, do not run but, instead, hold up your hands. They will only kill you if you look like you can resist them," Lex told them.

"Then we cannot hunt without our weapons," one of them protested.

"How long can you last on your food reserves?" Lex asked.

"A few days," the Shaman said.

"Do you know when it will rain?" Lex asked.

"Soon," the Shaman answered.

"When it rains, their cloak will no longer work," Lex told them. "Do you have a paste that won't fall off in the rain?"

"We use a war paint that will stick to our skin even in the rain," one of them said.

"We will need a lot of it," Lex told them.

"In the meantime, they will be looking to recover their dead. If traps could be built around the dead bodies, you might catch some," Lex advised.

"We know how to do that," a warrior said enthusiastically. 

* * *

The bravest warriors set out to find the fallen Yautja bodies. After they had set up some elaborate traps, they waited for the Yautja warriors to come by to pick up the body. Lex stayed behind to continue the ruse that she was the Na'vi's prisoner. The warriors all wore warrior paint that covered their entire bodies. Eventually, a team of three Yautja warriors in cloak discovered the dead body and lifted it up. The Na'vi saw the dead body rise from the ground. Using Lex's plasma cannon, they fired on one of the Yautja warriors. The blast severely injured the warrior and deactivated his cloak. The other warriors fired their arrows hitting the remaining two. They quickly used their antidote, but it didn't work this time. They fell to the ground and shook uncontrollably before they died from the nerve toxin. The Na'vi cautiously approached the fallen warriors and took their weapons.

Another team of three Yautja warriors discovered a dead Yautja and moved into an area filled with traps. As they crossed trip sticks, a giant log slammed down on one warrior mortally wounding him. Another one was hit with multiple wounded blades from above causing severe injury. The other fell into a pit and was impaled on wooden pikes. The Na'vi then entered the area and took their weapons.

Other Yautja were caught in nets covered in an oily substance and then the Na'vi fired flaming arrows burning the captured Yautja alive. Another team was ambushed by Na'vi on all sides with precise arrow shooting. One Yautja fell to the ground desperately trying to crawl away as he gasped for breath. In all cases, the Na'vi were able to take their weapons and bring them back to the tree.

Lex compiled all the plasma cannons, blades, and detonators into a pile. After suffering hundreds of dead, the Na'vi were successfully fighting back.

* * *

The Prince noticed that over a dozen warriors were missing in the forest. Reports were coming in that the Na'vi were using a different nerve toxin than before. They were also using traps commonly associated with human special forces.

"Order everyone back. The dead will bury themselves," the Prince ordered.

He then considered the map carefully and focused on Lex's mask signal. "I have made you hate your former species, but I have failed to make you love the Yautja," he said to himself.

* * *

The Yautja ship sent off missiles into the air across the forest. In mid-air, they let loose smaller devices that rained down on the forest including the Na'vi's home. The small devices would be able to pick up sounds around them giving the Yautja an advantage as to where the Na'vi were. The devices were also useful in picking up conversations between the Na'vi.

"Activate the system. I want to know what is happening inside the main tree," the Prince ordered.

The sounds came back, were filtered, and then translated into Yautja. The conversation came in clear: it was Lex and the Na'vi leaders. The Prince listened closely along with his veteran associate. Lex was giving them information on Yautja technology and how to defeat them in various ways. Once the conversation was over, the veteran associate turned to the Prince.

"This is treason!" he said.

The Prince was not overly surprised by this revelation. "That may be a premature judgment," the Prince said.

"It seems clear to me," the veteran said. "The punishment for this crime is death. Your wife has caused the deaths of several warriors."

"They all joined this hunt voluntarily," the Prince said.

"They were not told that they would be strategizing against a Prince's wife," he replied.

"She is harmless. Remember that she was once a primitive human," the Prince reminded him.

"That conversation I heard was not harmless," the veteran argued.

The Prince stood up from his throne. "You're right. She must be captured and brought up on charges. As a Prince, I am not above the law."

The veteran huffed in agreement and turned towards the door. The Prince went out of his room towards the bridge. "Take us down," he ordered.

The ship then hovered above the ground, extended its legs, and settled in a valley. The Prince and the veteran exited the ship with their hunting gear on. Using a whistle, the Prince called for his hounds. The monstrous creatures came out of the ship and started sniffing around. "Lead the way, my Prince," the veteran said.

The Prince readied his spear and then suddenly sliced through the veteran's chest with it. The veteran was stunned to see the spear point through his chest. He then fell to the ground dead. The hounds immediately went for the body tearing it to pieces so nothing was left. The Prince then went back into his ship and concocted a drink for himself.

After drinking it, he went to sleep. The drink would erase his memory of having killed the veteran, so he could not be prosecuted for it later.

* * *

The hounds went with the Yautja warriors for the purpose of activating the traps. Many of the Na'vi traps were killing the hounds instead of the Yautja warriors themselves. The Yautja were also adapting to Lex's strategies and, as a result, some of the Na'vi warriors were killed. Na'vi skinned bodies were becoming common in the forest, and Lex had to restrain the Na'vi from immediately taking them down for burial. The Yautja also used their own traps to net or maim Na'vi warriors. The Yautja were also compelled to use different visual scanners to detect Na'vi covered in mud or slime.

"At this rate, we cannot win," Lex told the leaders.

"We must bring forth a Toruk Makto," the Clansman Leader said. "Only then will we be able to unite all the tribes."

"What is that?" Lex asked.

"When a warrior is able to bond with a toruk, he shall bring forth victory from great sorrow," the Shaman said.

"A toruk is a larger version of the ikran right? I think we need more than that," Lex said doubtfully.

"It has great significance for us. Whoever can bond with a toruk, is the undisputed leader of the Na'vi," the Shaman said.

Lex saw that as ridiculous but it could be useful. "Then we must find one."

* * *

Lex gathered some warriors together for the quest to find a toruk. "Who is the strongest of you?" Lex asked.

They discussed amongst each other and chose a male warrior. "You will ride an ikran and wear this," Lex said giving him the wrist band. She placed the wrist band around his wrist. "Push this and you will be invisible," Lex told him.

He tried it out and became invisible. The freaked out warrior then bumped into the other warriors. "Push the same button to deactivate it," Lex said.

The warrior eventually did so deactivating the cloak. "The toruk will harm you if it sees you riding an ikran but maybe not if he cannot see you," Lex said.

"I shall be the Toruk Makto," the warrior said confidently.

Lex sighed believing it more likely that her wrist band would be inside the toruk's stomach. As the warrior was about to take flight, Lex gave him one last bit of advice. "Attack from above. It won't expect that," she said.

"Attack from above," the warrior repeated as if the concept had never occurred to him.

Lex watched as the male warrior activated his cloak and then flew into the air.

* * *

The Prince took his ship into the air and considered what he had been listening to. "We're going hunting for a toruk," the Prince told his pilots.

The pilots looked at a hologram of the creature. "How many shall we kill?" they asked.

"All of them," the Prince ordered.

The Yautja ship then shot across the sky looking for its prey.

Meanwhile, the warrior flew among a flock of ikran as he searched for a toruk. Occasionally they would fly near a flock of ikran looking for any weak prey. The warrior then spotted a toruk high in the sky nearby. The warrior directed his ikran to go higher in elevation. Sailing above the toruk, the warrior prepared for his fateful approach. Then suddenly the Yautja emerged from the clouds.

"Toruk sighted," the pilots informed the Prince.

"Commence firing," the Prince ordered.

The Yautja ship fired on the toruk but managed to miss. "Magnetic disturbances are interfering with our targeting computers. Switching to manual," the pilot said.

"Do not miss again," the Prince said annoyed.

The warrior saw his only chance and leaped off his ikran onto the back of the toruk. The toruk noticed the extra weight but none of its four eyes could see the rider. The warrior immediately connected himself to the toruk which made it fly erratically as it resisted. The Yautja pilot found it difficult to target as the toruk flew around flying pieces of rock. The warrior finally took control of the toruk and flew it towards the trees to avoid detection. The Yautja ship fired on the toruk but it was able to avoid the slow-moving plasma blasts. The Prince waited impatiently as the ship's pilots continued to fire on the toruk without success.

The Prince then stood up from his throne on the bridge and stared at the toruk as it flew a number of patterns to avoid being fired upon. "There's intelligence there," the Prince said to himself.

The toruk entered the trees and flew through the branches and vegetation. The Yautja ship switched to infrared and fired on the forest. The trees and vegetation were fried by the Yautja ship as it continued its assault. The toruk navigated expertly through the trees and giant leaves even as plasma blasts rained down upon him.

"Scan the creature and give me its mass," the Prince ordered.

The ship scanned the creature even as it continued to fire and gave a figure. "Match that measurement with the database on the species," the Prince ordered.

The two numbers were then placed on the screen. "The mass of the object appears to be slightly out of range for this species," the pilot reported.

"It's too heavy," the Prince realized.

"Break off the pursuit and enter high elevation," the Prince ordered.

The Yautja ship stopped firing on the toruk and went higher into the sky.

* * *

The warrior flew the toruk to the tree village and was immediately celebrated by the Na'vi people. The Shaman immediately gave him the honored title of Fifth Toruk Makto. The warrior then handed the cloaking device back to Lex. "You have given me this honor," he said gratefully.

Lex felt warm and happy with these people. She couldn't help but enjoy their celebrations. Messengers were sent out to the other clans telling them that a new Toruk Makto had manifested. As the Na'vi celebrated, Lex stayed by herself faceless under her mask. The Shaman walked over to her to greet her. "I thank you," she said.

"My…people have brought this misery on you. I am a part of that misery," she said.

"You are not like them. You are different," the Shaman said.

"The truth is that I was changed into one of them. I was once a human," she said.

"A human?" the Shaman wondered.

"They look just like you except they are shorter and not blue. They have smaller ears and a different nose," she said.

"How did you become like this?" the Shaman asked.

"I was captured and poisoned," Lex said.

"You are no longer a prisoner now," the Shaman told her.

"Just trapped in this body," Lex said bitterly.

"We have a ritual where the mind of one being can be transferred to another being. Your mind could be transferred from your body into a recently deceased Na'vi body. You could become one of us," the Shaman said.

Lex stared at the Shaman and considered the idea seriously. "I would live with you?" she asked.

"Yes, and become a hunter of the forest. You would learn our ways and then become mated to any of the male warriors. You could have children and live a long peaceful life," the Shaman said.

Lex looked at Shaman and then at the other Na'vi. They were not monsters like she was. Their faces looked almost human without ugly mandibles and small eyes. Their hair was similar to her own human hair instead of a large bald cranium with dreadlocks. Lex looked at her clawed fingers and then at the Shaman's human-looking fingertips.

"How can this be done?" Lex asked.

"Come with me," the Shaman led.

* * *

The two of them ventured through the forest until they came to an unusual rock formation. It appeared like protective ribs over a piece of land. In the center was a tree. The Shaman ventured over the tree and touched the glowing strands. "This is the Vitraya Ramunong. It is here that we form our connection with Eywa. This is very sacred ground," the Shaman told her.

Lex scanned the tree with her mask. She definitely picked up heat and energy signatures coming from the tree. "Eywa is all life, it connects all life, and it binds all life together. Through this tree, we can transfer your mind to another if it is the will of Eywa," the Shaman said.

"How long does it take?" Lex asked.

"It has never been done in my lifetime. I do not know how long," the Shaman admitted.

"What does it entail besides me and the body?" Lex asked.

"It will require all of us to come together for the ritual. You must pass through the eye of Eywa and make it to the other side. There is a risk your mind could become lost in Eywa," the Shaman said.

"I'll take that chance. I am ready when you are," Lex replied. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For me, it was important to show the strengths and weaknesses of both sides as well as how both sides adapt to the other's change in strategy. It really is a chess game of wits between the Prince and Lex on this moon. I also wanted to have the Na'Vi, themselves, be their own saviors.


	22. Na'Vi Part 2

The Prince became furious when he discovered through his bugs that the rider of the toruk was not Lex. Giving other alien species Yautja technology was forbidden even for temporary use. Now the real Toruk Makto was gathering the other tribes to resist the Yautja. This put the Prince in an awkward position. He could easily kill all the Na'vi but then that would deprive future generations of Yautja a good hunt. On the other hand, he couldn't infiltrate their group either without significant casualties. What made matters worse was that it had started to rain.

As the clans arrived, they filled up the main tree. Inevitably, an electronic bug was discovered. The rest of the tree was scanned by the Na'vi from top to bottom until they were all discovered. Lex looked over the hundreds of bugs that had been collected.

"So, he knows what I have been up to," Lex realized.

There was no turning back. If the Prince considered her an enemy, she would have to defeat him somehow and become one of the Na'vi. As the rain poured down, Lex organized larger search parties to find Yautja warriors. Without their cloak, the Yautja resorted to primitive camouflage but the Na'vi were able to smell them out using animals they could tame.

Lex then sent the Na'vi air force to go after the Yautja battleship. Either the ship would have to withdraw abandoning its warriors or would be forced to stay and fight. The Toruk Makto led the hundreds of ikran towards the Yautja ship. The Prince saw the large flock approaching in advance and considered what to do.

"They will soon be in firing range," the pilot told the Prince.

The Prince wondered why Lex would send the Na'vi out on a suicide mission. The ikran were no threat against the ship. Even if all of them were to attach themselves to the hull it would not destabilize the ship. Their arrows were also incapable of penetrating the hull. There were also no entrance points where the Na'vi could infiltrate the ship.

"Scan for radiation signatures," the Prince ordered.

The pilots scanned the flock of ikran and found several radiation signatures. "Target the radiation signatures," the Prince ordered.

The ship fired on the ikran flock but hit the wrong ikrans. The Na'vi were intentionally shielding the ikran with the bombs. "Repeat," the Prince ordered.

The ship continued firing on the ikran while also backing away at the same speed that the Ikran were approaching. As plasma bursts hit, ikran were blasted to pieces along with their rider. The Prince sat on his throne unimpressed as the Na'vi flew in vain to try to keep up with the ship. "Inform me when they're all dead," the Prince said as he moved towards his quarters.

The ship suddenly moved violently from an impact. The Prince steadied himself as the ship worked to reorient itself. "An engine has been hit," the pilot reported.

The Prince saw that there were ikran from below and from behind attacking. The first flock was merely a diversion. "Increase elevation," the Prince ordered.

The ship went up into the sky where the air was too thin for the ikran. The Na'vi activated the Yautja bombs and threw them at the engines. There were intense mini nuclear explosions that shook the ship. The ship could no longer maintain its altitude but could still fly. The Na'vi jumped onto the ship and placed the bombs on the hull using a sticky substance.

The pilots activated an electric field shocking the Na'vi warriors on the hull. The bombs exploded causing significant damage to the battleship. "We're going down," the pilot informed the Prince.

Flames roared around the ship from the bombs. The Na'vi cheered as the ship went into a valley and crashed into the ground. "Status report," the Prince ordered.

"We have lost engine control at the moment. The ship has sustained significant damage," the pilot said.

"Send out a distress call. Tell them we have had an engine malfunction," the Prince ordered.

The Prince clapped his hands and laughed in amazement. "Not bad," he said to himself.

* * *

The Na'vi celebrated their victory while also reserving time for the dozens that had been killed. With the Yautja threat neutralized, the Na'vi clans gathered at the new Tree of Souls. Lex placed herself next to the tree beside a female Na'vi that had recently died. Their bodies became covered in a white energetic grass that was focused on her nervous system. The other Na'vi connected the end of their hair braid to the ground connecting themselves to Eywa. The Shaman started the ritual to make Lex become one of them.

The ground and the tree glowed as the ritual progressed. Lex felt herself falling asleep as if all the energy in her body was being drained away. She wondered if this procedure would kill her but even if it did she had done okay she thought. She had struck a blow against the Yautja and saved this kind alien race.

She didn't see the religious ritual as contrary to her beliefs. Eywa was just how they expressed the mysterious nature of God. "Please forgive me," Lex said as she felt herself slip away. There was darkness and then a bright light as her mind became one with Eywa.

The Shaman looked over the two bodies and wondered if the ritual had worked. The female Na'vi suddenly opened her eyes. The Shaman backed away surprised that it had actually worked. The female Na'vi detached herself from the white grass and looked over her body. Lex saw through Na'vi eyes for the first time and realized how similar it was to her own human sight. She looked over her hands and then felt her face. The Na'vi stood up in stunned silence as she looked over herself.

"You are Na'vi now," the Shaman said pleased.

"It worked," Lex said amazed. Lex then turned to her old body. It was still alive even without Lex's mind being in it. She saw her body for the first time from a third party perspective. Compared to her new Na'vi body it looked hideous.

It was time to end her Yautja existence forever. Before the Shaman could stop her she pulled off the body's mask. The Yautja struggled to breathe and was starting to die. "What have you done?" the Shaman asked her.

Lex didn't understand the Shaman. Her translator chip was in her Yautja body, but she figured what the Shaman was thinking. "It ends here," she said in English.

The Yautja twitched and convulsed as it tried desperately to breathe. Suddenly, Lex felt her chest feel constricted. She was breathing fine but she found herself wanting more air. She suddenly collapsed on the ground. There was a white light and then she found herself in her dying Yautja body. Lex felt intense pain in her lungs from carbon dioxide exposure. She didn't know what had happened, but she did know she needed to breathe. She took her mask and put it back on. After some panting through her mask she was back to normal.

"What happened? Why wasn't it permanent?" Lex demanded of the Shaman.

"I do not know. Perhaps…," the Shaman said to herself.

The Shaman took some white strands from the tree and brought them to Lex's abdomen. The white strands spread out over Lex's abdomen more so than any part of her body. "You are with child," the Shaman revealed.

* * *

Over the next day, Lex realized that as long as she hooked her body to the Tree of Souls, she could transfer her mind into her Na'vi body but never permanently. She had to keep her Yautja body fed and cared for while she was in her Na'vi body. The Na'vi were sympathetic to her allowing her to do all the things a Na'vi warrior would do. She hunted with them, learned their death ritual after a kill, rode an ikran in the skies, and navigated through the forest. The Yautja threat was still there but if her body was killed she would just go back to her Yautja body again or, at least, she thought so. She became known as the female without fear of death.

Aside from this, Lex felt depressed over the revelation of the pregnancy. She had been told that the Prince could render himself infertile if he wanted but instead, he had made her pregnant. She was supposed to be a warrior but the Prince had lied to her. He wanted her to have children just like the other breeders. She was furious with him and furious with herself that she had trusted him.

"If I abort the fetus, we can make it permanent," Lex said to the Shaman.

"That is not our way. It is innocent life," the Shaman rebuked.

"It won't be when it becomes full grown. It will be a murderer just like the others," Lex argued.

"Not all are destined for evil. You chose to fight against your own people," she said.

"I'm not asking you to kill it. Just give me a poison that isn't strong enough to kill me," Lex said.

"I will not give it to you," the Shaman refused.

"Fine, then I'll find one, myself. This moon is full of nerve toxins," Lex said frustrated.

"If you kill the child, I will not perform the ritual," the Shaman said resolved.

Lex and the Shaman stared each other down. "What difference does it make? If I give birth to this monster, it won't be able to breathe and it will die."

"You must go back to your people," the Shaman advised.

"After what I have done? They will skin me alive," Lex said.

"Not if you are with child," the Shaman assumed.

"This is my life, my choice!" Lex yelled at her.

"And as Shaman, I have made my decision," she said angrily.

Lex stormed off feeling trapped and betrayed. She decided to go after the Toruk Makto, the one person that could potentially get rid of the Shaman for her.

* * *

A new Yautja battleship exited hyperspace and descended towards the moon. The ship then launched several transport ships to the surface of the moon near the Prince's location. The ship resembled a cylinder with three claws on the end. It slammed into the ground near the Prince's ship. Yautja warriors exited their shuttles and walked over to the ship. The Prince waited for them as they approached.

"My Prince," the leader of the group bowed his head.

"The ship is in need of repairs. You will fix it so that I can bring it to Yautja Prime for further repairs. Self-destruction is not an option," the Prince ordered.

"Please show us the damaged parts," the leader requested.

The Prince showed the engineers around the ship indicating a broken part on the computer. There were multiple hull breaches and the engines were malfunctioning. The Yautja leader realized that only bomb detonators could have done this kind of damage but remained quiet.

"The damage is extensive, my Prince. Please take one of our shuttles and go aboard our ship," the leader offered.

"I was going to do that, but I appreciate the offer," the Prince said leaving the engineers to their work. The Prince entered the shuttle and shot up towards the Yautja battleship. Upon docking, the Prince came to the bridge.

The captain was not royalty but a respected nobleman and warrior. The Prince and this noble knew each other well and could be considered friends. "I offer you my ship," the Nobleman said.

"That won't be necessary just yet," the Prince said.

The Nobleman bowed his head realizing that the Prince intended to take his ship whenever he wanted. "I would be honored if we had dinner together," the Nobleman said.

"I will join you."

* * *

The Prince and the Nobleman ate alone at a large metallic table. On the table were a number of bottles and meats from Yautja Prime. With no females around, the two ate noisily tearing into the flesh and drinking more than they should. "What really damaged your ship?" the Nobleman asked boldly.

"My wife defected over to the Na'vi side and has been giving them strategies to fight against us. The Na'vi changed their nerve toxin and have set up traps for us. They have also coated themselves to avoid infrared scanners. They have also been using the cloaks from dead Yautja hunters. Yesterday, they placed bomb detonators on the hull of the ship," the Prince explained.

The Nobleman chuckled. "You got yourself a rebellious wife there. She might even want to become one of the Na'vi. They have some kind of mind transfer ritual."

"I have an insurance policy for that. I impregnated her before we left. The Na'vi won't perform the mind transfer while she is still with child," the Prince said.

"What if she kills the child?" the Nobleman asked seriously.

"Then she will become isolated by both sides. I will personally kill her, myself," the Prince said.

"You're drunk. Even if she killed the child, you can always impregnate her again," the Nobleman said.

"The child is royal blood," the Prince said seriously. 

"My blood and your blood is the same color, isn't it?" the Nobleman joked.

"You're right. I suppose I just have a desire to follow the traditions of my fathers," the Prince admitted.

"When you find her and you will find her, be tender to her and forgive her," the Nobleman advised.

"Three dozen of my men are dead because of her," the Prince said. "I have never had these kinds of casualties ever. Not even on Earth."

"It has been a lot worse in the Outer Rim colonies. The infection is growing and we have been losing a lot of our warriors to it. My wife has been very helpful in educating these primitives on how to detect them but many have died fighting it," the Nobleman said depressed.

"I propose you use the Xenomorphs," the Prince suggested.

"It's too dangerous. The Xenomorphs will kill the infection but then they will kill everything on the planet," the Nobleman rejected.

"The other alternative is that you collect every animal sample you can and nuke the planet," the Prince said.

"These things are very difficult to kill. You can freeze them or make them glow with radiation and they will not die. We found one that had been frozen in a cave for tens of thousands of years," the Nobleman said.

"After I solve this problem, I would like to join you," the Prince offered.

"You must be joking with me," the Nobleman said.

"I can't go back to Yautja Prime with this stain on my honor. If I manage to solve this infection, I will be celebrated as a hero. You, too, will share in the glory," the Prince said.

"And your wife? Can she be trusted?" the Nobleman asked.

"I can trust her to do the opposite of what I tell her," the Prince said.

The Nobleman chuckled at that. "To our uncooperative wives," he toasted.

The Prince and the Nobleman raised their goblets and drank down. "So, how is she as a mate?" the Nobleman asked.

"She's terrible but that is to be expected. On her home planet, the females aren't expected to participate for very long," the Prince said.

"Mine was the same way. It took years to teach her what I needed," the Nobleman said.

"Do you think it is a good idea for my wife and your wife to meet? They could be dangerous together," the Prince asked.

"That's the idea," the Nobleman laughed.

* * *

Lex waited for the Toruk Makto's admirers to leave before she talked with him alone. "You wanted to speak to me?" he said as she came towards him.

"I need your help. My…old body is pregnant. I can't become one of you until I am no longer pregnant," she said.

"When will the child be born?" he asked.

Lex didn't know the answer to that question. "If the child inside dies, then I can join you," she said.

"That would be most unfortunate," he said sympathetically.

"I need a nerve toxin that will kill the child but not my body," she said.

The warrior looked at her uncertainly. "I made you! I gave you the cloak. I told you how to dominate the toruk, and I gave you victory against a powerful foe. You owe me," Lex said angrily.

"I appreciate everything you have done for me. I know of a toxin that can cause temporary paralysis and painful muscle contractions. It will kill the child but keep your body alive," he said.

"Good, now I need you to appoint a new Shaman. She won't do the ritual if the child dies," she said.

"I cannot appoint a new one. It must be the daughter of the Shaman," he said.

Lex remembered the injured female that had saved her. "Then, she must become the new Shaman."

"A new Shaman cannot be appointed until the first one has died," the warrior told her.

Lex stared at the warrior with unnatural fierceness. "Then, I will make the kill. You can mate with the daughter, and she can become Shaman."

"I cannot allow this. This is madness," the warrior rebuffed.

"If not for me you would all be dead," Lex told him.

"You think this is the first time they have come here? The elders have taught stories of the invisible hunter. They say the forest took them as part of a sacrifice for us using the land. They have been here before, but they have only killed a small amount every few generations. Now that we have declared war on them more of us have died," he said.

"So, you saying we shouldn't have fought them?" Lex asked incredulously.

"No, it was a righteous fight. All the clans are now united, but it wasn't always so. The clans would fight one another in bloody wars. Now, we have become one. They will come back and some of us will be killed. We cannot win and you know it," he said.

Lex said nothing knowing it was true. "You have used us to fight your own mate. Our interests were the same, but you are not one of us. A Na'vi female would never want to kill her own child," he scolded.

It was at that moment that Lex wanted to throw him off the branch they were on and have him fall to his death or strangle him with the vines surrounding them. "Why can't I be allowed to be happy," she said sadly and left him.

* * *

A wormhole opened up revealing a new type of ship. The intensity of the wormhole created a mini-black hole that started to take away gas from the planet until the wormhole dissolved. The Yautja battleship immediately picked up on the space distortion.

A hologram displayed the ship as it came closer to the moon. Immediately, the computers sent data on what the ship was made of. "It appears that your hunting trip is now a war," the Nobleman said to the Prince.

"Send for more reinforcements and then dip into the moon's atmosphere," the Prince ordered.

The Nobleman gestured to follow the Prince's order.

The massive ship sped towards the moon and started launching smaller fighters. The Yautja ship retreated into the moon's atmosphere but the fighters continued to follow. The fighters glowed red hot as they entered the moon's atmosphere, but they continued their descent. The Yautja ship immediately fired on the fighters blasting several of them. Some of the fighters also disintegrated in the atmosphere. A few of the fighters got shots on the Yautja battleship causing damage to the hull. The Yautja engineers immediately went to work to try to contain the hull breaches. An acidic fluid was working its way through the ship. The Yautja had dealt with strong acid before against the Xenomorphs, so they were ready to activate base fluids to counter the acid.

With few of them left, the fighters went back into space. "Decks have been secured," the engineers reported to the bridge.

"Begin repairs to the hull," the Nobleman ordered.

"Alien crafts are descending onto the moon," the pilot reported.

The Prince and the Nobleman watched as several shuttle size ships landed on the moon. "We don't have enough men," the Nobleman said.

"No, we have no choice but to ally with the Na'vi," the Prince said disgustedly.

* * *

The alien creatures came out of their ship. They were humanoid in appearance with grey skin. They wore black uniforms that resembled claws from their legs, their shoulders and arms, and their heads. Their armor was biological in nature capable of healing and adapting to its environment. On their belt were swords and pistols. The creatures breathed in the air and seemed to struggle. After a few moments, they adapted to the air.

The alien warriors then sat out into the forest stunning every animal they came across. The warriors would then drag the animal back to their ship. They would infect the animal so that it would start to resemble the same biological chemistry as themselves.

Some Na'vi scouts discovered these alien warriors and fired on them with arrows. The arrows struck one immediately paralyzing it. After a few moments, the alien then got back to its feet and took the arrow out of its chest. The wound immediately healed. The stunned Na'vi retreated back into the forest to tell the larger group what they had seen.

The Na'vi scouts then came to the main tree to tell the clans what they had seen. As soon as they were done, everyone turned to Lex to give an explanation. "They're not the ones that have been hunting you. They are something else," she said.

"What do we do?" they asked the Toruk Makto. He had no answer for them.

The air then buzzed as a Yautja decloaked in the middle of the group. The Na'vi immediately readied their arrows against the intruder. The Prince calmly stepped towards the leaders even as arrows were being pointed at him from all directions. He took off his wrist bands and then his plasma cannons onto the ground.

"Don't shoot him," Lex told everyone.

"Why do you come here?" the Toruk Makto demanded.

"So, you must be the savior," the Prince said in Na'vi with his synthetic voice.

Lex walked up to the Prince and for the first time she was the same height as he was. "An improvement over your human form at least," the Prince said.

"It was bold coming here. You could be killed upon my order," Lex said cooly.

"I will be waiting for your arrival in Hell," the Prince replied.

The Na'vi lowered their bows as the married couple argued with each other. "Why are you here?" she asked him.

"Another alien race has taken an interest in this moon. Their religion dictates that they take every alien life form and transform it to resemble their own planet's life forms. They will take every plant, animal, and every Na'vi and transform them into themselves so that this moon resembles their own planet. Anyone who resists will die a horrible death," the Prince told her.

"Are you desperate now? Is it because I blew up your ship?" Lex asked.

"You damaged one of my ships. There is another one in the moon's atmosphere and it has its weapon systems aimed at this tree. If anything happens to me, this whole tree will be blasted apart killing everyone here. I also know where the second Tree of Souls is," the Prince said.

Lex wasn't sure if the Prince was bluffing but the explanation seemed plausible. The Prince turned to the rest of the group. "I have caused the deaths of your relatives and friends while destroying your Tree of Souls. I have committed great blasphemy towards Eywa," the Prince said to the group.

The Prince hesitated in his speech enjoying how it made the Na'vi irate "However, other people from the stars have come to your world. They will take away your identity and freedom. They will transform your bodies and make you slaves to their will. You will no longer be Na'vi but a slave to their empire. You will not only do as they say, but you will be changed. You will no longer care to preserve life or to be one with the land. All you will think to do is how you can assimilate all other life forms to imitate you. Everything you believe will be forgotten," he said.

The Shaman approached the Prince. "You will never respect our ways," she said to him.

"No," the Prince replied.

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend?" the Shaman asked.

"If you say so," the Prince said.

"What shall we call this new enemy?" the Shaman asked.

"They call themselves Vong."

* * *

The Prince was supervised by the Na'vi warriors wherever he went. He considered them an escort to serve him rather than being considered a prisoner. He had placed his weapons back on not wanting the Na'vi to have them. At the Tree of Souls, he saw Lex's Yautja body tied to the white grass that led to the tree.

He scanned Lex's abdomen with his mask and detected the small embryo inside. The Prince then turned to the Shaman. "Your world is one of many worlds we come to hunt. If your world were to perish, it would matter little to me. If anything happens to this body or the child growing inside, my ship will destroy this whole valley and your home tree," the Prince told her.

"It will not be harmed," the Shaman promised.

"Good. Some of my warriors will be coming here to analyze the tree's fortifications," the Prince informed her.

The Shaman felt she couldn't object to the overly confident alien prince. "I will have access to my wife whenever I call upon her. If she doesn't come to me when I call, you shall entice her to," the Prince continued.

"In our culture, the male is subordinate to his wife," the Shaman said annoyed.

The Prince sat down in the middle of the home tree on a throne he had fashioned for himself out of wood. "I know," he said.

The Shaman stared at the masked Prince with contempt. "I summon her…now," the Prince directed.

The Shaman called up her warriors. "Find AlexaWoods," she ordered.

* * *

Lex reluctantly arrived to meet the Prince while escorted by Na'vi guards. "Leave us," the Prince ordered the Na'vi guards.

The Prince then rose from his throne and looked her over. He suddenly grabbed her throat and turned her head from one side to the other side. "A typical specimen," he said unimpressed in English.

The Prince then released her. "You find it appropriate to strangle your wife?" she spat at him.

"You are not my wife but my wife's avatar. I can do whatever I please to an avatar," the Prince said to her.

Lex glared at him as he sat back down on his throne. "You could be killed so easily here," she said.

"And if that happens everyone here will die," he said unconcerned.

"There's a fable on Earth and it goes like this: There was once a fox and a scorpion on the shore of a river. The scorpion asked the fox to carry him across the river. The fox replied that if he did the scorpion would sting him and then he would drown. The scorpion said that it would be against his own interest if he did. They would both drown, you see. So the fox carried the scorpion across the river but half-way across the scorpion stung the fox. As the fox began to drown, he asked the scorpion why he did it," Lex said.

"The scorpion replied: 'It was in my nature.'"

"Is it in your nature to kill me and all the Na'vi here?" the Prince asked after a long pause.

"I don't know. Your kind has made my life hell since I was in Antarctica. You impregnated me so I couldn't become one of the Na'vi, because you knew it was a possibility. Maybe, I would have been happy among the Na'vi. Maybe I could have transferred myself into a human body and gone back to Earth. You knew about this mind transfer tree they had and never told me about it," Lex said angrily.

"The mind transfer is a Na'vi legend. I am as surprised as you are that it worked," he said.

"That's bullshit. You knew it worked. You studied this moon," she said.

"I also knew that if it didn't work your mind would be trapped as a ghost on this moon. You would never die and yet never live as long as this moon still held life. You would be everywhere and nowhere all at once," the Prince said.

"They never told me that," Lex said flatly.

"It is because they're ignorant stupid people. Even humans are more intelligent than these creatures. They think this is religion and that Eywa is their goddess. This moon is one large central nervous system connecting all life forms plugged into it. It is one moon-sized organism that forms a symbiotic relationship with all life forms. It is not faith when you can manipulate Eywa to give you whatever you want and it works every time you test it. Faith is when you do not know, cannot know, and will never understand the creator. Faith is when you realize you are never in control and submitting to that reality. Even some of the humans understood this," the Prince said condescendingly.

"So, if it had failed, you would not have been one with God but a nervous electrical signal throughout the moon's extended nervous system," the Prince said. "Eywa is nothing more than one giant electrical socket."

"Well, it did work," Lex said argumentatively.

"You have always been a lucky one," the Prince said amused.

"So, is this Vong bullshit too?" Lex asked.

"No, that's real. They will kill everything on this moon and terraform it. My angle is that I do not wish this hunting ground to be spoiled. Also, the Vong have become too aggressive. They must be stopped here. If not, their next target will be the closest star system: Earth," the Prince said.

"How can they be stopped?" Lex asked.

"Only one ship is here which means it is likely a scout. It will take some time for the Yautja armada to come out here. So, we have to keep the Vong at bay until more forces arrive. Their ship is bigger and more powerful than ours. They have fighters and we do not. They have more troops than we do. They will also quickly adapt to the Na'vi nerve toxins making them ineffective. They are capable of fast speed regeneration and their strength is superior to ours," the Prince said.

"So, is there any way to win?" Lex asked.

"We have a last resort biological weapon onboard a ship. The Vong's ships are entirely biological, so it should kill them. But this weapon can also kill every living thing on this moon," the Prince said.

"A Xenomorph?" Lex questioned.

"No, something worse," the Prince said.

* * *

The Prince summoned the Shaman to his throne which, in reality, was where all the Na'vi usually congregate as a community. He treated her as basically his servant in all things. "I require a deceased male Na'vi that has not decomposed. I do not wish to endanger my actual body when I do not have to," he said.

"What do you intend to do? To connect with Eywa the way AlexaWoods has?" the Shaman asked.

"No. We have the technology to link my brain to the deceased Na'vi's brain. We will not need to continue offending Eywa with our continued bastardization of her grace," the Prince said diplomatically.

"I will also be taking my wife's body to the ship. She will be reconnected to her Na'vi body and will remain with you until this threat has ended. I require more corpses so I can connect them to my other warriors. This will allow us to scout and engage the enemy without the threat of death," the Prince said.

"You are like a necromancer," the Shaman said of him.

"I am the devil you know," the Prince replied.

* * *

The Yautja warriors disconnected Lex's Yautja body from the Tree of Souls. Immediately, her Na'vi body fell to the ground. Lex awoke in her Yautja body and got to her feet with some difficulty. "There will be some muscular decay," the Prince told her.

Lex felt weak as she reluctantly followed the Prince and his warriors. They took Lex's Na'vi body and then took a dozen whole corpses many of which were killed directly or indirectly by the Yautja. The Shaman felt troubled by what the Yautja were doing but felt she had no choice.

A shuttle ship launched from the moon back to the Yautja ship. As insurance for their continued cooperation, some Yautja warriors were left behind with strict orders to not kill anyone. The shuttle docked with the Nobleman's ship. Once inside, the Yautja took off their masks.

"Attention on deck!" a Yautja warrior said as the Prince entered the bridge with Lex.

"I offer you my seat," the Nobleman said as a courtesy.

"Take my seat," the Prince replied.

Lex then saw the Nobleman for the first time. He was bigger and looked older than the Prince, but Lex was not fooled by this. The Prince's emphasis was on speed and was the best swordsman among his kind. "Princess," the Nobleman bowed his head.

"This is my seventh wife. She calls herself Lex," the Prince introduced.

"I have heard so much about you," the Nobleman said pleasantly. He gave her a look over and then turned to the Prince. "Excellent craftsmanship. They have made advancements," he said.

"Let us hope the heir has the same features," the Prince said.

Lex felt sick as she heard the word "heir" in the conversation. "Ah, yes, congratulations," the Nobleman said to Lex.

"Thanks," Lex said sarcastically.

"Is the equipment ready?" the Prince asked.

"It is ready for you," the Nobleman said.

The Yautja workers placed the deceased Na'vi in tanks and filled them with a healing solution. "You had these all along in your ship?" Lex asked.

"I didn't show you every laboratory in the ship," the Prince told her. "The process is similar to the Na'vi's technique. It is similar to a prosthetic piece. The nervous electrical signal will go from the Yautja to its host. Instead of it just being an arm or a leg, it will be a complete body," the Prince explained.

"Why didn't you use this before?" Lex asked.

"Using a Na'vi body to hunt other Na'vi is not sporting," the Prince said. "Besides, all of the corpses we brought back were damaged beyond repair."

The Prince then turned to the Nobleman. "Are my ship's engines functional?" he asked.

"The engines have auxiliary power but the weapons are offline," he reported.

"That is good enough. I want to be plugged in when it becomes available," the Prince ordered.

Lex watched with some interest as the Prince plugged himself in. His Na'vi body then rose and looked over himself. "Nervous connection is steady," the scientists reported.

"Ready my shuttle to my ship," the Prince ordered in English.

Lex and Nobleman watched as the shuttle rocketed back towards the moon's surface near the damaged ship. The Prince went inside the ship and activated the controls. Slowly the ship rose from the ground and then into space. "What does he plan to do?" Lex wondered.

"You'll see," the Nobleman said.

The Prince used his new fingers to rapidly input commands into the ship. The Vong ship noticed him and started firing at him. The Yautja ship evaded what it could but was too damaged. The Prince put the fusion reactor on meltdown and continued its course. The Vong ship launched fighters and tried to move away but it was too late. The Yautja ship slammed into the Vong ship while on meltdown. There was a powerful explosion as the Yautja ship erupted like a star. The Vong ship was damaged but not destroyed.

The Prince then awoke and went to the bridge to assess the damage to the Vong ship. "Did it hurt?" Lex wondered.

"A little," the Prince said.

The Prince then activated a hologram of the plant that showed Eywa's concentrated energy. There were a number of ports across the plant that took the form of trees. As the clans gathered together near the Toruk Makto, the Na'vi only had a few guards on each of the trees.

The Prince considered a tree on the other side of the moon far away from the home tree. "Send a team to this tree. Kill the guards and install the transceiver," the Prince ordered.

"What are you doing?" Lex asked him.

"Eywa connects to all living things on the moon through a network. Most animals on the moon connect with this network at least once a day. It is pleasurable to the animal to do so. We will connect directly with Eywa and send a transmission that will order all biological units to fight the Vong," the Prince explained.

"You can do this?" Lex asked amazed.

"We've never actually tested it. This would be a good time to try it," the Prince said.

Lex looked uncertain with this plan. "If we don't do it, the Vong will," he said.

* * *

A team of three Yautja warriors descended down to the moon and made their way towards the tree. Two Na'vi were immediately beheaded with plasma bursts and the third was stabbed through. The Yautja then decloaked and began working on the transceiver. Once they were done, they activated their cloak and disappeared into the forest.

"Begin the connection," the Prince ordered.

The Yautja ship began receiving high volumes of data within a short time. A hologram of the moon displayed the signatures of every life form currently plugged into Ewya. Many of the birds and ikran were transmitting with Eywa even in the air.

"The system is similar to how Earth birds use the magnetic field of the planet to migrate. If we can tweak the signal, we can have the ikran flocks hit the Vong," the Prince explained.

"What is the risk?" Lex asked.

"Every bird and ikran could go crazy and fling themselves to the ground killing themselves," the Prince said as if it were nothing.

Lex gave him a look. "It is a sacrifice I am willing to make," he added.

"The Na'vi believe that praying to Eywa while connected can bring help," Lex said lamely.

"I prefer to have the goddess serve me," the Prince replied.

"Transmitting signal," the pilot said.

"Track all life forms. I want to see what they will do," the Prince ordered.

As predicted, the ikran went off course towards the Vong settlements. Predators and prey alike ran through the forest towards the Vong. "Eywa has heard our prayer," the Prince clapped his hands.

"Congratulations," Nobleman said amused. 

"Land hunters on the ground," the Prince ordered.

Shuttle crafts exited the Yautja ship and descended to the moon's surface. Once they reached the surface, they used speeders to move quickly through the forest. The Prince and Nobleman watched the locations of the speeders as they moved towards the target.

"Take us into orbit," the Prince ordered.

The Yautja ship went higher into the sky and into space. The Vong ship orbiting the moon and was in a state of repair. The ship was entirely biological and was healing its hull as any other organism would. The Vong ship immediately launched fighters as the Yautja ship came nearer.

"Launch the weapon," the Prince ordered.

The Yautja ship launched dozens of missiles towards the Vong ship. Some of the fighters intentionally got in the way exploding upon impact. A few missiles managed to hit the hull but there was no explosive impact.

"Withdraw," the Prince ordered as the first missiles impacted.

The Yautja ship moved towards the gas giant to hide inside the clouds. The Vong ship pursued but the two ships were now blind.

"What did those missiles do?" Lex asked.

"It is a biological weapon. The missiles contain samples from an alien life form that copies the appearance of its host. It will infect the entire ship. The ship will cannibalize itself," the Prince explained.

* * *

Inside the Vong ship, the walls of the ship began to morph. Spikes and appendages erupted from the hull. Tentacles went through the ship. The Vong fired on the tentacles, but it was a losing battle for them. The Prince watched from the Yautja ship as the Vong ship slowed down. The Vong's ship's engines failed and were adrift in the clouds of the gas giant. Their shields shut down allowing intense radiation from the gas giant to contaminate the ship. Even as the ship fell into the gas giant, it formed a massive jaw filled with teeth. The ship screeched but could not be heard in the silence of space. The Yautja watched as the ship morphed into a monstrous creature and then burned up in the atmosphere of the gas giant.

"Take us back to the moon," the Prince ordered.

The Yautja ship came back to the moon and monitored the situation. The animal life on the moon attacked the Vong until all of their warriors were killed. The Na'vi were not aware that the Yautja had manipulated Eywa and were in religious celebration.

"Recover our equipment. We are done here," the Prince ordered the Nobleman.

The Nobleman nodded in agreement consenting that the hunt was over.

The Prince then turned to Lex. "After your pregnancy, you may come back here and become one of the Na'vi. But if you do, you will never live to see humans again. You will be compelled to worship a goddess that you know does not exist. If you choose to remain with us, I can show you the wonders of the universe."

"Can you show me love? Can you show me honesty?" she asked him.

As they departed, the Prince stared at the moon from space saying nothing to her. His mind was elsewhere. For defeating the Vong here, he would be considered a hero of his people.

* * *

As the ship departed from the moon towards deep space, Lex realized her fate was sealed. The Prince wouldn't likely come back to this moon for a long time and not with her as a companion. As they went through hyperspace towards their next destination, Lex approached the Prince while he was on his throne.

"How long is a Yautja pregnancy?" she asked.

"The equivalent of one Earth year. It is longer than human gestation because of brain development and size. The infant will be born one and a half times bigger than a human infant," he said.

Lex contemplated the pain that would be involved with that kind of birth. "How much will it hurt?" she asked referring to birth.

"Have you ever given birth as a human?" he asked.

"No."

"Then I have nothing to compare it to. There will be pain and there will be blood," he said. "However, unlike humans, the death of the mother or child is very rare during childbirth. The more children you give birth to, the easy it will be," he said.

"Do females have more than one offspring per birth?" Lex asked.

"Occasionally, just like humans. We will know soon whether that is the case," he answered.

"Will they look...human?" she asked.

"We do not know. It is a mystery to us. Through your body, we will make a number of important discoveries in hybrid research," he said.

Lex didn't like being thought of as a test subject. "I think it is time that you met my friend's wife. She might give you some encouragement," the Prince said.

* * *

The Yautja ship emerged from hyperspace and journeyed towards a very bright planet. As they got closer, Lex could see that the entire planet was covered in ice. The ship descended into the atmosphere and was not affected by a blizzard storm. The screens searched the planet using infrared. Finding heat signatures in the cold environment, the ship landed on the thick ice.

The ship didn't bother to cloak. Apparently, there wasn't an alien civilization here. Everyone put on their masks and headed towards the exit. The Prince, Nobleman, Lex, and some of the guards exited the ship and stepped onto the ice. Lex noticed the temperature difference, but her skin seemed tough enough to stand it. She recalled how the three Yautja had walked around with minimal clothes on in Antarctica.

"Lead the way," the Prince said to the Nobleman.

The group trekked through the snow until they reached a facility. There was a large communications dish and vehicles that looked like speeders. There were a number of fuel silos as well. A figure emerged from the facility with two others. As the figure came closer, Lex could tell that she was female and the other two were males. They likewise were wearing masks.

"Introducing the Prince of Yautja Prime," the Nobleman said to the female.

She bowed to the Prince and extended her arms. The males went to their knees. "It is a pleasure to receive such a visitor," she said.

Lex could tell there was a slight amount of sarcasm in her voice. "This is his mate, Lex of Woods," the Nobleman continued.

She chuckled at that. "Lex of Woods, you may call me Kate of Lloyd."

* * *

Lex simply stared at Kate's masked face. "Kate was the first female human to be transformed into a Yautja," the Prince told her. He then turned to Kate. "What is the status of my weapon purchase?"

"It's ready for you, my Prince," she said disdainfully.

"Have your people load it into my ship," the Prince ordered.

Kate turned to her escort and motioned for them to leave to fetch the weapon. "My primary mission here was to secure the weapon for transport, but I am also here so you two could be acquainted," the Prince said.

"I haven't encountered someone like myself before, and it's been years since I have had a human as company," Kate said amused.

"How did this happen to you?" Lex asked her.

"It's a long story, and I would prefer to tell it inside," she said.

The Prince nodded. The group walked over to the facility and went inside where the temperatures were normal. The atmosphere was the same as Yautja Prime allowing everyone to see normally. Lex took off her mask and adapted to the new environment. Kate also took off her mask and the two studied each other briefly. "I haven't seen another female in a long time," she remarked.

"What do you do here?" Lex asked.

"I'm a weapon developer and a paleontologist on the side. I have been doing this kind of work for decades. I helped to create this base," Kate said.

The group sat down at a metallic table as the servants placed plates of food on the table. Lex studied Kate to see if she ate like a Yautja or a human. From what she could tell, Kate acted no different than the other Yautja at the table. "We used the weapon against an enemy recently. It proved quite effective," the Prince remarked.

"Were you able to contain it?" Kate asked bored.

"Yes, it was incinerated in the atmosphere of a gas giant," the Prince said.

"What exactly is this weapon?" Lex asked.

"It is an alien organism that can be used as a weapon. The cells of the organism sample the cells of another biological entity, it then copies that cell so it can perfectly imitate it, and then when it hunts, it reverts back to its original cellular design. It attacks the organism, infects the organism, takes it over completely, and then re-writes the cells of the organism it attacks," Kate explained.

"So, it can look like anyone one of us. It could look like you?" Lex asked.

"Yes, it could," Kate agreed. "We have a number of precautions in place at this facility. These braids are never undone while we are here. The style of the braids and the position of the beads is to always remain the same. If anyone here has different braids than when they arrived here, we quarantine them. Also, underneath our skin are metal implants. The creature can't replicate these metal implants, and it requires surgery to implant them. We also do frequent blood tests. Our blood, if electrocuted or heated, won't do anything but burn. The creature's blood will become alive and try to get away," she said.

"Every part of this creature, even at the cellular level, is independent of the other cells. It only becomes intelligent when it is whole. It is able to imitate its host perfectly physically and mentally by using the host's memories," she added.

"What happens if someone is infected?" Lex asked.

"There is no cure. It spreads too quickly through the body. The infected person is completely destroyed usually with fire," she said calmly.

"If this weapon were to be released on a planet, it would be devastating," Lex said.

"Unlike other animals that seek equilibrium with their environment, this creature does not. It will kill every life form on the planet and then it will cannibalize itself. The infected creatures can't even tell the difference between themselves and the uninfected," Kate said.

"What do you call it?" Lex asked.

"There is some technical designation for it but around here we just call it the THING," Kate replied. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kate Loyd is the female scientist and survivor in the prequel film, Thing.


End file.
